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Un-American

The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump

John J. Pitney Jr.

A Scathing Indictment of Donald Trump on the Eve of the 2020 Election

Un-American? President Donald J. Trump has been called many names, but how can this term apply to a candidate and president whose slogan is “make America great again?” How can such a term apply to the “America First” president? In this book, John J. Pitney Jr., one of America’s most incisive conservative commentators exposes a core irony of Trump’s presidency: that a man who is quick to question the patriotism of his critics is himself deeply unpatriotic. Pitney argues that real Americanism is about ideas and ideals: truth, equality, the rule of law, patriotic service, and the hope that America can serve as an example to the rest of the world. By words and actions, Trump has disparaged all of these things. Through an examination of his record, this book tells how Trump subverts genuine American greatness.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 248 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-5381-2925-8 • Hardback • April 2020 • $21.95 • (£16.99)

978-1-5381-2926-5 • eBook • April 2020 • $20.50 • (£15.99)

Subjects: Political Science / American Government / Executive Branch, Political Science / Political Ideologies / General, Political Science / Commentary & Opinion

Un-American

The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump

Hardback

eBook

Summary

A Scathing Indictment of Donald Trump on the Eve of the 2020 Election

Un-American? President Donald J. Trump has been called many names, but how can this term apply to a candidate and president whose slogan is “make America great again?” How can such a term apply to the “America First” president? In this book, John J. Pitney Jr., one of America’s most incisive conservative commentators exposes a core irony of Trump’s presidency: that a man who is quick to question the patriotism of his critics is himself deeply unpatriotic. Pitney argues that real Americanism is about ideas and ideals: truth, equality, the rule of law, patriotic service, and the hope that America can serve as an example to the rest of the world. By words and actions, Trump has disparaged all of these things. Through an examination of his record, this book tells how Trump subverts genuine American greatness.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 248 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-5381-2925-8 • Hardback • April 2020 • $21.95 • (£16.99)

978-1-5381-2926-5 • eBook • April 2020 • $20.50 • (£15.99)

Subjects: Political Science / American Government / Executive Branch, Political Science / Political Ideologies / General, Political Science / Commentary & Opinion

Author

Conservative Commentator John J. Pitney Jr. frequently writes for USA Today,The National Review,Claremont Review of Books, and other publications and is frequently interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, and many other media outlets. He teaches political science at Claremont McKenna College and resides in Claremont, CA.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Trump and the American Tradition

Chapter 2: We Hold These Truths

Chapter 3: Created Equal

Chapter 4: The Administration of Justice

Chapter 5: A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind

Chapter 6: Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor

Chapter 7: New Guards for Their Future Security

Notes

Index

Reviews

A lot's been written on Donald Trump. But if I were asked to recommend one book on Trump and his significance for the American experiment in self-government, I think Un-American is the book I'd recommend. Both as students of politics and as citizens of the United States, we are in debt to Jack Pitney for this work.
— Bill Kristol, Director, Defending Democracy Together

No matter how or when the Trump era ends, Jack Pitney is determined that we never forget that millions of Americans supported a president who attacked the values and principle on which American democracy was based for over two centuries. Pitney has created a testament that should be read, now and in the future, by every voter before every election.
— Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise

Pitney skillfully analyzes Trump on honor, service, military, morals and honesty, among attributes.

— Politico

Pitney begins the book by teaching his readers the most important features of the American political tradition and then proceeds to meticulously demonstrate, point by point, how Donald Trump’s entire life, including his short-lived political career, has been a repudiation of everything that makes America great. Pitney’s book is important and effective because it dissents from the two dominant political tribes in America. To Trump’s “conservative” Republican supporters, who claim to be patriots that love America and its Founding, Pitney shows with devastating detail how Trump represents the antithesis of everything they claim to believe in. To Trump’s “liberal” Democratic opponents, who claim that America is fundamentally racist, misogynistic, and nativist, Pitney shows that the American creed formulated by the Founders is actually committed to natural rights, human equality, self-rule, and limited government. Trump is not the embodiment of the American political tradition. In truth, he is the most un-American president in history.

— Political Science Quarterly

Features

5/13/20, The Great Battlefield podcast, hosted by Nathaniel G. Pearlman. Link: http://www.resistancedashboard.com/node/717

5/25/20, Keen on Democracy podcast: "John J. Pitney, Jr.: How Hard Is It to Be a Conservative Right Now?"
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-j-pitney-jr-how-hard-is-it-to-be-a-conservative-right-now/id1448694012?i=1000475452785

6/2/20, Jonah Goldberg's The Remnant Podcast: "I Don’t Have Courage, I Have Tenure."
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-have-courage-i-have-tenure/id1291144720?i=1000476625423

4/24/20, The Bulwark opinion piece: "Donald Trump, Un-American: Again and again, the president has rejected America's founding principles."
https://thebulwark.com/donald-trump-un-american/

4/28/20 USA Today opinion piece: "Trump's science denial is un-American. Just ask Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/28/coronavirus-trump-flouts-science-core-american-value-column/3033941001/

5/11, The Bulwark opinion piece: "Trump, Reagan, and “Mourning in America”"
https://thebulwark.com/trump-reagan-and-mourning-in-america/

6/1/20 USA Today opinion piece"Conservative: I'd take Obama over Trump in an instant, especially after the day we just had" Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/06/01/trump-attacks-governors-pals-around-with-putin-column/5311227002/

5/6/20 In MinnPost, an opinion piece and preface of the book profiles ‘Un-American,’ a scholar powerfully describes ‘the fake patriotism of Donald J. Trump’ Link: https://www.minnpost.com/eric-black-ink/2020/05/in-un-american-a-scholar-powerfully-describes-the-fake-patriotism-of-donald-j-trump/

6/4/20, NBC News “Trump lacks the consent of the governed” Link:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-lacks-consent-governed-n1223941

6/11/20, NY Daily News: Pitney opinion piece appears "Trump’s not only echoing Nixon; he’s channeling Joe Colombo: The president desperately wants it to be the early 1970s all over again"
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-hardhats-mafiosi-president-trump-20200610-2brqhlyaxbfxpc3xjamm435m3e-story.html

6/22/20, Medium: Author Jack Pitney's opinion piece "Trump and the Mystic Chords" is launched on Medium: Link: https://medium.com/@jpitney/trump-and-the-mystic-chords-97d141aa4673

6/19/20: US News quotes Un-American in article on Bolton book release, “For Trump, it’s Personal.”
Link: https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2020-06-19/supreme-court-bolton-book-have-trump-digging-in-on-loyalty

7/3/20, The Bulwark: Author Jack Pitney pens a piece referencing the patriotism theme directly from his book in the article "Trump’s Mt. Rushmore Patriotpalooza."
Link: https://thebulwark.com/about-trumps-mt-rushmore-patriot-palooza/

7/24/2020: USA Today published author John J. Pitney Jr.’s latest op-ed mentioning the book, “A Wistful 30^th ADA Anniversary with Trump, Who Doesn’t Care About People with Disabilities.”
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/07/24/americans-disabilities-act-anniversary-donald-trump-cruelty-column/3288097001/

8/7/20: The Bulwark (58k Twitter followers) published author John J. Pitney’s latest op-ed, “Trump Saying Biden Would ‘Hurt the Bible’ and ‘Hurt God’ is the Height of Hypocrisy.”
Link: https://thebulwark.com/trump-saying-biden-would-hurt-the-bible-and-hurt-god-is-the-height-of-hypocrisy/

8/29/20: Author John J. Pitney, Jr. quoted in syndicated USA Today article); “Competing parties, clashing realities: Campaign's final sprint opens as conventions end.”
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/08/29/trump-biden-clash-election-issues-leadership-final-weeks-loom/5651157002/

9/10/20: Claremont McKenna College News published interview with author featuring book; “Jack Pitney’s latest book targets the president’s public posturing.”
Link: https://www.cmc.edu/news/jack-pitneys-latest-book-targets-presidents-public-posturing

9/23/20: The Bulwark published author’s latest article, “200,000 Dead Isn’t a Statistic. It’s a Tragedy.”
Link: https://thebulwark.com/200000-dead-isnt-a-statistic-its-a-tragedy/

2/13/21, USA Today: John Pitney and book are featured in article by David Jackson, "Trump impeachment trial reopens GOP battle lines."
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/13/trump-impeachment-trial-reignites-gop-battle-even-he-acquitted/6738664002/

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The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump

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