Who is the real Donald Trump? A serial liar with long ties to both organized crime and the Kremlin. A corrupt demagogue whom most historians consider the worst U.S. president of all time. And, most urgently, a vengeful wannabe dictator whose re-election would end American democracy. In this short and necessary volume, Dirty Rubles author Greg Olear presents the facts about FPOTUS: who he is, what he plans to do, and why the country cannot survive a second Trump term. Donald Trump is a Rough Beast. America is slouching towards dictatorship.
PRAISE FOR ROUGH BEAST
"As readable as it is horrifying, Greg Olear's Rough Beast bathes the reader in unassailable facts about the presumptive Republican nominee...Here they are, in one convenient, breezy tome: the countless crimes committed, duly reported, prosecuted, and then frequently forgotten over the past four decades; the bad actors and miserable sycophants in the man's orbit; and the Apocalypse-can't-come-fast-enough, Jesus-hates-you right-wingers hitching their wagons to his dark star...This is real. This is not a drill. Avoid reading this very necessary book at freedom's peril."
-Rachel Slade, author of Into the Raging Sea and Making It In America
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"Rough Beast lays out in detail who, and what, the US would be bringing back into office, and the picture should frighten anyone who isn't going to directly benefit from theocratic autocracy."
-Brynn Tannehill, author of American Fascism: How the GOP is Subverting Democracy
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"If Donald Trump wins a second term in office, it won't be at all like his first-it will be much, much worse. As Greg Olear shows with bracing clarity in Rough Beast, Trump is a criminal who is desperate for power and revenge. Trump is running for dictator and the 2024 election might be the nation's last."
-Jennifer Mercieca, author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump
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"Greg Olear's voice-informed, erudite, outraged, lyrical and concise-is the necessary antidote to Steve Bannon's 'flood the zone with sh*t' MAGA chaos communications strategy. Buy, read, and share this book wherever the madness of Trump's first term has left memory holes."
-Nina Burleigh, author of Virus and The Trump Women: Part of the Deal
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"Olear makes compelling case after case about why voting against Trump is the only good option we have. But the details Olear curates are not some boring lecture about Putin's mark or the horrors of the pandemic-Rough Beast is a truly enjoyable read, despite the darkness of its subject...It's a fast read and a must-read, a great and important work that makes sense of it all."
-Lisa Graves, executive director of True North Research & host of "Grave Injustice"
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"Just the facts ma'am. That's what you'll get in Greg Olear's exceptional follow up to Dirty Rubles. A comprehensive guide and breakdown to the past present and future of the GOP and the Trump administration, Rough Beast serves as a as an explainer and a warning...Written in an easy conversational style, it never feels as dense as it is, but by the time you're finished reading it, you will also be an expert in everything from GOP money laundering to Supreme Court capture to Project 2025. Be brave and dive into this terrifying look into the possibilities and inevitabilities if we don't prevail in 2024."
-Aja Raden, author of Stoned and The Truth About Lies
