When the republican primaries it was pretty crowded writing an article to the nation magazine headlined president john blake said have been. At the time the scenario seemed to stretch but now we are living it and john has taken the time in his new book i was just talking how tricky that was it determined not to trip over that. And to have that Trump Administration and without political reporting experience with a National Correspondent in currently rights not only for the nation but for the progressives living in Madison Wisconsin and rarity frequently appears as a commentator with 10 or 12 books that you dole said still too much. Do you . And to say the least indeed it in the time with of publication now are several Senior Advisor is profiled at have exited like steve cnn or wrote Reince Priebus those that have considerable influence over the Trump Presidency we mean in the cabinet to examine the connection and and special interest that they are likely to have. Needless to say, highly critical and strongly opposed to a trump calling now for the all of resistance to identify all the wrongdoers and collaborators in and around the Trump Presidency and clothing for holding him to account has a step in that direction so we should be in for a spirited discussion. Please join me to welcome john nichols. [applause] people. Say it with me. Trump apocalypse. I had no idea when i set out to write this book i did not put a lot of effort into writing i think of the title first. I had no idea that the title would be so difficult but i have done 20 radio and tv interviews some of the smartest people in america have has struggled with the term but to make a very simple it is what happens if the people that donald trump in powers takes the country took the place where they want to take it and it is never dead if we know who they are which requires a media to cover politics but no. What we know who they are and number two, to resist what they seek to do so let me tell you that i know were all supposed to be so depressed and scared writing this book cause me to understand a couple of things first of all, anybody can be a member of a cabinet. [laughter] i will guarantee you that i have the better cabinet and donald trump of the first five rows. It is those late drivers under doing good works. So i want to start quickly to say faq to politics prose that is a wonderful independent bookstore and now as people have come back to the printed page this store is a model for the whole country. [applause] also sees band who never gave up of the book with booktv although work that they do open is the dialogue from the left to the right and in this book i learned learned, i watch morning journal and listen to the calls on both sides it gives perspective and then you know, were their power base is with the advisers and the allies. Many are stronger the and trump. That is important to understand. With the historic power base with their wealth and connections longterm ideological journey that donald trump cannot fire. Say the name Jeff Sessions. What is he going to do . He is not going to get rid of Jeff Sessions unless he is watching tonight and embarrassed by the fact that we revealed this but the truth of the matter is he has a power base rooted in the south also antiimmigrant to play the race card again and again it is a small portion of our society but central to the base that after the tragedy of charlottesville he struggled to called the people that any decent american president would have had no place whatsoever to decide what monuments we put up in our community. Jeff sessions will weve been the point is my dear friend is in the back i am always in the row with people who are more important than me which is all of you but if you watch the fight all over the Health Care Bill trying to get rid of obamacare for people with disabilities to cave across the country and stayed for days or weeks and suffered great pain it was incredibly difficult the yet they cave because it was a matter of life and death and their resistance made it possible to prevent this administration and allies because one of those leading figures who was out there every night to assemble and petition for the regress to makes it clear that if you saw videos when it was announced the senate had rejected that legislation to see a very young handsome guy jumping up and down cheering. [applause] so let me tell you about this book because cspan is your we love them for a variety of reasons if you are on television you can be president of the United States. So why write this book . It was almost two years ago covering donald trump and a campaign it became clear for a variety of reasons the rise of possibility what could become president of United States. It was evident he would become the nominee because he figured out the republican party. A bunch of very rich people to exploit the fears of people who are not as rich as they are and then say who were scared or been that those guys up there the Republican Base said were with you. So suddenly there was a rejection and then donald trump turned around and a similar strategy dont trust the people youre trusted up to this point they have them lying to you. So remember he did lose. He got 46 percent of the vote which is more than 1. Less than what mitt romney got 2012 and lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes 46 percent did not vote if he lived in most countries saw the plan he would be back with the tv show right now and everyone would be happier including donald trump. But because of the vulnerability is he became president. One of the things i realized he is a great showman and its great to rile people up the most modern candidates to realize that you can do Say Something else will bear risque and it says the best thing around. And that donald trump knows nothing. He knows absolutely nothing about governing. To spend his entire life whether he became president of the United States so rock star patti smith said when she became a rock star she was ready because she spent 20 years in front of the mirror interviewing herself. Donald trump did not do that. He didnt know people or have the connections are understand the process and was unprepared to be president of United States. So what i knew from the beginning is when he became president i said it could happen i did not predict that. But one thing i was absolutely certain from the start was that donald trump would be defined not by what he did but the people he appointed dead did his presidency isnt about him but how he distributed the power of the presidency because of the decision were not right all that Television Ever does it show me every single thing that donald trump has done that day. We see verbatim 24 7. That is now running the country that is the apprentice. That is a tv show he knows nothing about how to assemble a government. So the real story of this administration is this guy who knew nothing was positions of power but the presidency was not always like this. To know how many members of the cabinet . They wenner said four or five depending on how you count john adams. We know the names. Hamilton. Jefferson. But donald trump but he struggled when he was announcing keefe struggle to remember which job he was appointing devoss. [laughter] there is more government and he knows what to do with and to become so imperial the president has the ability to put people in charge of huge aspects of for future and transportation war and peace and donald trump had no idea. Maybe ill make you secretary of state and maybe i want, and is struggling to comment present himself to lobby people for positions. That is not how things are supposed to work you should have a few ideas of what you want to do he did not have that. So when it case after case with the al loudest dealer. So kennedy was us senior a friend of Woody Guthrie is that i want to be the loudest yowler. With the loudest yowlers caving in to be with donald trump could you put in charge of education . Teeeighteen the loudest yelling against Public Education for the better part of 20 years. No one would have paid attention to her whatsoever except for the fact she is rich. In america if you are rich you can be president of United States or secretary of education. At vitter is you know, anything but you buy your way into it. So when teeeighteen came before the Senate Committee that was constitutionally bound to realize she was qualified to serve as secretary of education literally to guide the future of our children, the best person many from vermont or New Hampshire last terrific questions and got to the heart she did not know about programs that were central to what the department of education does literally a deterrent federal or state programs. It was tragic and painful. Teeeighteen read me feel sorry for her i never thought that was possible but she got rid of most of it until Bernie Sanders came up then actually understates its issues of economics and class and wealth and poverty whatever for a long time and said i have a question for you period did not give 200 million to the republican candidates included the people in this room today, is there any chance you would be sitting here with this nomination . And two over immense credit credit, she didnt say of course, i would be i know education from top to bottom she said its possible. [laughter] he did she do that it was ridiculous. Nominee after nominee after nominee but in that point literally the power to decide the communication if we have met neutrality how they operate or organize. And how that military Industrial Complex and delicate to that fundamental question they were capable of impressing donald trump . And those that thought very little about the future . There were not ready to do the job said they were given some of the United States said it had done his job beyond silly partisanship and ideology than there is simply no question. You should not be in this position. With the epa because they but have said i am working my way through of this. He was lying to them because scott was one of the central climate deniers of our age their regular ecus the epa. They would have rejected him because that would have been absurd with the democrat or republican a baseline of confidence and respect for the agency if you want to dismantle that and if you are given the responsibility that the water that our children drink is safe that we are prepared to deal with hurricanes that hit major cities that leave the fourth largest city in United States under water bin you better understand the current stance on Climate Change and be ready to establish a Climate Resilience infrastructure so you dont understand with the more better crisis. He should not have been put in that position and. [applause] rex tillers it is one of the most dangerous group that i write about it here called the adult run screaming. If you are picked for a position by someone who cannot be trusted men you are supposed to keep them under control. I give my daughter power to do a lot of things sometimes she is under control but she does not control the as much as she birdlike and the fact of the matter is he gave people positions of the immense power. It is the absurd construct. And then try to make themselves feel good as a corporate ceo in the administration that doesnt take Climate Change seriously. That is not the adult to the room that is the unable therefore somebody who is wrong telling them that they can be wrong and do no wrong. That is not the best and brightest this is the administration and of people who are there because donald trump bought this is what a smart person sounds like the key is that the kind of guy to say all be back is probably the bird the first one to go. Pataki about people with real power who were doing a lot of stuff. But he was put in charge that has existed since the founding of the republic and why they exist. That is a counterbalance them the military Industrial Complex. Maybe we can talk for way out of this maybe we can have diplomacy so in this administration recs to listen is clearly not regarded to allow the department of state to be diminished and dismantled and undermined and weigh no secretary of state in the history of the country has ever done. He is a horrible stew word of the agency of our federal government and yet you do that from the Committee Hearing because they said had you talk to donald trump about the middle east . We will get around to that. Way did i get around to that. He had no idea how he would relate to donald trump as president of the United States they should not have put him in this position. But he wants the job but had no idea how he would do it. So i have to be honest in this book i acknowledge with people are smart probably the smartest in the room steve pitt and probably was the adult in the room to read extensively thinking about those issues taking that strategist and i disagreed with him on fundamental issues but here is a guy whos thought about this he is out of the administration but i suspect he is more influential now than ever. Steve p and then went out so everything must me cool. He was of the real president he was there at Donald Trumps be passed but steve spee and and really is smart and a strategist. But in the aftermath the charlottes fell he had a series of statements of someone who should not be that president of the United States it is not ideological or partisan to say after a bunch of neonazi and fascist supporters of the confederacy get a fight with people who dont like racism you cannot have a president who says theres trouble bullseyes. That is the comic argument then people who have poolside said the issue would bobble sides of slavery . Donald trump says yes. Literally he says that like the Fashion Store the nazi but there are people marching with them. Then is Something Big had to change and had to happen so dont think for a second to that their id is stepped out the reason my profile of because the city people that donald trump embraced in the truth of the matter is he stood there so if you feed steve bannon is scary then i invite you to look at the videos of steven miller. In the of both right about his journey ended is horrifying in many ways because it is such a example of someone on so many issues to somehow has a death in the position of power apparently giving advice so donald trump has the power people many are doing pain without careful conformed consent so i will close off and go to your questions, if the light donald trump, i am delighted you joined us feel have a dialogue that is superb because we can do that but if you dont if you choose to resist you must understand he is said tv entertainer if all you do is resist donald trump that you are like flipping the channel on television you must understand why theyre there and what they will do with those positions you have to expand your focus. If you dont do that then it is very possible people will say and some point donald trump was a total failure as president and then somebody will write something revisionist to say i dont know how much of a failure, he dialed down the struggle against Climate Change to prevent us from looking at technology in our lives because he has no vision and to move money at of social welfare programs to the militaryIndustrial Complex dishes that he did not do that it is the people he put in charge and all of these influential positions did. If we dont Pay Attention to what theyre doing ben schaede us. Because ultimately donald trump cannot claim the trumpocalypse is the people he has empowered case and bring that trumpocalypse. That were that i can pronounced. [laughter] trumpocalypse is not scary bomb that people think about. That is legitimate. I dont dismiss that but trumpocalypse is a fundamental restructuring of the United States in ways that will make this country unfamiliar to us, our parents, our grandparents and everyone who ever fought for a country with liberty and justice for all. That is why we need to avert the trumpocalypse. [applause] was supposed to go 30 minutes and now you have 30 minutes for questions. Please come to the microphone in distress chance to be seen on television. If your book you talk about the republican senate. We are not related but i adore you for asking this. Highprofile 40 people in this book many our cabinet secretaries many are members of the trump family also i look at congress a lot because i believe that paul ryan did more to make Donald Thompson president and donald trump. Every time that paul ride objects he says i would not have said it that way. To the objection is that he does not split being swelled enough to say he is the nominee of the party i will back p. M. Said he expanded the definition so understand that the core of making trumps presidency successful without a doubt is Mitch Mcconnell. He is very ungracious admittedly he did admit platt bacalls wife and attitudes rotation now he is kind of picking on him know the rules had been sanders the way he did know i am ashamed of the United States senate genuinely because i will give you one . Thing. Days before the stock through it was named to the epa put in charge of the government a judgeship in the oklahoma ordered the release of documents by publicinterest groups every field in his interactions to the fossil fuel companies as head of a the epa. This is incredibly in for blood negative Important Information other senators went to the floor of the west and it and said just wait and tell these documents are released. Literally they will be released within days and Mitch Mcconnell forced the nomination through. Nellie they waited a few more days. It was atrocious governance and shameful disregard for his oath of office and responsibility and i dont even have to tell you to raise the sensual fundamental issues of jeffs sessions. So in a chapter on Jeff Sessions i do find an unimaginable he is the attorney general of the United States also what sums up whole chapter. What could be said that has not already been said by a david duke . He has exceeded expectations. Fake you for your french shipping and printers ship. It the health care fight with members of congress and are accountable to constituents those cabinet agencies are not directly elected but it is the end of a critical Comment Period so what can we do to resist what these cabinet appointees are doing . That is a terrific question. I was on a radio show with a woman who read the book and she said i read your book over the weekend and it made me dramatically more depressed. [laughter] but the point was to empower you. So the first of the empowerment is to know who day are. George washington led the media is so president ial and personality focused to see what happens with cabinet agencies and also regulatory agencies like the fcc. It is also about the change of media. Historically with daily newspapers around the country a tremendous number that used to be the reporters from the Des Moines Register but keep watch on the department of agriculture Detroit Free Press kept watch on a department of labor they brought a specialized interest to washington that was the Early Warning system that we lost a lot of that. So what i do is highlight those to encourage you to look all of these different agencies and the activist groups that our serious about it as well as members of congress. But gorka the president s adviser on counterterrorism he had a nefarious past tied to groups in Eastern Europe by the accounts of some people had fascist history and the reason he is out today not because the members of congress did their job because of the newspaper a jewishamerican read newspaper over 100 years old when they saw that Sebastian Gorka was wary battle at a bed that were historically believed to be neofascist groupings stapler reporters on the grounded Eastern Europe to talk to members to get to the bottom of it that led the congressman to call for his removal create this situation of charlottesville people need to understand this. If you dont know their history or their background it cannot possibly be given to hold them to account. And to make the decisions about them and spent a lot of people working on these issues. Also with rolf cater who read the book and was very generous and he is always monitor these agencies points out that impeachment meant to suggest for president s that power exist for president and Vice President and those they empower. Cabellas are people who lied to the congress or who have fundamentally failed all the of possible tools to spread that around and they say this quite often in any room that donald trump walks into he is not the most feared person. Has trouble semester of this on so many levels to to leave you looking at the deep flaws within the Democratic Party that enables them to arrive in the future . You are very wise. So any statement begins with the line day lost to donald trump. Those that did not do particularly well said Democratic Party to be bullhead impressive al franken has risen to that level and new york state crested to libya has voted against more nominees than any other member of the senate because she was not afraid to stand in defense of civilian control of the military. Of so many voted for these generals but the senator said wait whole point is to have civilians the military Industrial Complex is serious the Democratic Party is a desperate need of a reformation and they say that it a religious sense. But Donald Trumps presidency is day warning sign of those former abilities one of those the existence of the Electoral College but another vulnerability allowing the federal government to become these cabinet agencies are so powerful it is astounding it is very easy for people who should never be a charge of our government to take those positions. Is also a structural vulnerability because with all due respect that secretary of energy the guy in charge of taking care of Nuclear Waste wanted to eliminate the department. Im sorry if we were doing a broadway play we could not make this up. The vulnerabilities have to change and then running the risk and with those structural flaws to address that structural clauses were that a president personality unless we the people can get beyond that and it will not fix the damage that has been done. To be part of the traditional framework there is a lot of people behind you i am not pushing a new away but my friend would be thrilled but i am working on a book called the future of the Democratic Party. I am pretty scathing about the truck administration i will im spare the Democratic Party. But it has to be a smart party you counter ligase and stupidity and fantasy with fax and intelligence and courage and conviction and the Democratic Party has to show more with a process that gave the stock will drop gave us a donald trump. Do your best i believe that is what he is doing right now if he was assassinated this is a republic and i am very upset. If you ever have courage to rest on audio to represent your idea is but he has put himself at risk. The reason i fake it happened we allowed this structure in in 2015 through the index the International Debt 22. 5 trillion did go ahead and run this race had itself borrow 50 billion. In the world to have credit to have radical to have the computing ability but i dont time of any questions but a couple of the answers for your protege but that agency iras for example, to have a working group correspondence with that intergovernment and we must stop that of merging acquisition with the reason to participate but not only is mr. Trump courageous but availability is very radical tweeting is hardly democratic. With those high moral standards. And the third point. Give her one second. Teeeighteen implemented with that system before the major cities nationwide it was successful. Were trying to help people have literacy and our country. They give for that you have done a great job to present. Theres more. Your contingence of the senate but they passed the digit act but this said is very wise said capable. You have done a great job. But might i ask that this is a person whod disagrees with me. En probably a number of people in the room and we have to conclude. You have one last been to say . To shoot down the missile to demonstrate our safety after the demonstration of american stability to take down a ballistic missiles. Faq. We are a free people. Taking a for your contribution please give her a round of applause because it is not easy. It is not easy to stand up in their room where perhaps a lot of people disagree with you and i will also say that what she is trying to say i will not speak for her but there are things that Many Americans find that they agree with. That is okay. What i am saying is those that do object to be as courageous as she was. Because we will get through this donald trump is a blip he is a transition point i am concerned whether he is the transition point to something dramatically better a ricochet out or the transition point to a politics with variations of Donald Trumps from here on an inoperable here on out so i believe we dont want more donald trump and i am not satisfied with our said it. There is one day we can all agree on the fact that the tweeting and that we have seen since the presidency started has been horribly democratic. That is an incredibly powerful person in that is saudia after go it is vital to see what scott pruett is doing. When you and off every is sovereign rails insurance fell he was announcing changes to the federal regulations to bat for aqaba of the executive order from 2015 the u. S. Spending on infrastructure and that was titled the federal Risk Management standard eight tower had donald trump overturn that barely two weeks ago and most americans and not even know that. Six of the future and that they refuse to learn for what has happened. That has been shameful and develop that occur so now what is your question and answer . This regulatory catastrophe is huge. Clearly these are the people and then to ben chen Mitch Mcconnell by a very compliant congress so with that gerrymandering and suppression that is going space blind in of wondering if you can talk about the Wisconsin Supreme Court case or those other institutions . You have a lot of the table. Just follow what is happening on the issue of gerrymandering to find the address that core democracy issues one person that they do right in the book is crests the guide the president has empowered to give advice to counsel on Voting Rights and election issues and a host of matters all these things youre raising. I have covered this character for years when he was with the American Legislative Exchange council and he is the worst possible person to have been charged i genuinely say we should be on top of what hes doing everyday and ready to resist because the answer is if if he could get reelected is about his policies or those Economic Issues but the quality of all our democracy how healthy is our democracy . I fear of how we organize elections are the worst players of the most disrespectful players in regards to democracy. People can be . And will take a question from each. With those millionaire democrats to get out of that simplistic minds that and the root of that issue will not be addressed. That goes back to the declaration of independence where we never did overthrow the team. You are so right. We just change that to have that subserve we are bolt through the corporate entity. This woman got to the heart of the matter when they established a system of checks and balances congress was really powerful. In fact, the president had doesnt have the ability to impeach the congress but to reach the of president. We have thrown things such out of whack that has created tremendous dysfunction. We have people thinking if they have up presidency that is this powerful. Where did kelly at conway come from . My friend a comedienne and apparently they had a scarecrow scarecrow contest item that was respectful or disrespectful but she is a good place to circle around we will sign some books after words