Politics

Endgame: Inside the Impeachments of Donald J. Trump

Endgame: Inside the Impeachments of Donald J. Trump

  • Downloads：7673
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-07 17:31:10
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Eric Swalwell
  • ISBN：1419745492
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Peggy ，

I had to read this book for a book group and I thought I'd really dislike it。 Was I ever wrong！ The book is engaging and covers the whole process of Trump's impeachment exactly how I remember it。 Swalwell also takes us behind the scenes; we see how our government works。 I knew little about the author， except for the fact that he ran for President。 It turns out， he's a fine man and a very competent legislator。 I had to read this book for a book group and I thought I'd really dislike it。 Was I ever wrong！ The book is engaging and covers the whole process of Trump's impeachment exactly how I remember it。 Swalwell also takes us behind the scenes; we see how our government works。 I knew little about the author， except for the fact that he ran for President。 It turns out， he's a fine man and a very competent legislator。 。。。more

Larry L。 Anderson ，

Our best is yet to come。 Why did I choose the top rate？ I chose it for all the details others have left out。 It is a great read。

Larry ，

A little bit of personal memoir/history。。。。but mainly it truly is an inside look at the impeachment of the man Eric calls “a vindictive little shit。” Eric was in the midst of it all and this is a fascinating story of what was going on behind the scenes， with the other members of Congress along with Eric and Speaker Pelosi。 Excellent read！

Deanna ，

Concise， personal， relevant， behind the scenes look at the decisions and planning for the impeachment。 Highly recommend。

Mitzi ，

Eric is a great storyteller and shines a light inside politics。

Debra ，

Very well written， and accurate compared to my memories of listening to the testimony。

Lora Maureen ，

Congressman Swalwell eloquently takes us through the recent impeachment process of Donald J。 Trump， sharing much from his own perspective。 I had watched the hearings and it was beneficial to revisit via this factual representation， along with the author's intensive experiences， keen expertise， wisdom and sense of right vs wrong。 I had attended a discussion about the book through a local bookstore。 This discussion， the current administration， state of our country， and our country's divisiveness w Congressman Swalwell eloquently takes us through the recent impeachment process of Donald J。 Trump， sharing much from his own perspective。 I had watched the hearings and it was beneficial to revisit via this factual representation， along with the author's intensive experiences， keen expertise， wisdom and sense of right vs wrong。 I had attended a discussion about the book through a local bookstore。 This discussion， the current administration， state of our country， and our country's divisiveness were catalysts to read the book。 Valid reasons behind drafting of the articles and accurate depiction of the actual process - and its important players - were so very valuable， actually for every American。 I encourage everyone to read it with an open mind。 I admire Congressman Swalwell and so many others for their tireless energies during this process 。。。。 and their current， ongoing and boundless efforts （especially as we approach November）。 There were so many vignettes that left me shaking my head， that such events could transpire。 But there were also many instances of courage， patriotism and heroism。 There are many positive reviews， justly so， for this book and its contents。 I am confident that Rep。 Swalwell will continue to show great leadership in the future。 I took the few negative reviews with a grain of salt。 It is my impression that those were likely representing the other side of the aisle and disagreeing with the content （the actual process that took place）。 This is a reminder to us all that we have a stake in the "endgame"。 More than that， it is our duty to have such a stake。 It is a reminder to get out there and vote， be vocal， make a difference， effect change and preserve our democracy。 It is a reminder that right matters。 And that truth also matters。 。。。more

Caitlin ，

Such a fantastic book！ Well written and offers an insight into not only the House Impeachment process， but also into Eric Swalwell's life。 It does lean a bit towards Pelosi and her 'bipartisan and try to negotiate with the Republicans （which is imposible in the current climate）' but apart from that， I have a whole lot more respect and admiration for Adam Schiff， Nadler and all the staff and lawyers who worked tirelessly to get to the truth behind Trumps actions。 Such a fantastic book！ Well written and offers an insight into not only the House Impeachment process， but also into Eric Swalwell's life。 It does lean a bit towards Pelosi and her 'bipartisan and try to negotiate with the Republicans （which is imposible in the current climate）' but apart from that， I have a whole lot more respect and admiration for Adam Schiff， Nadler and all the staff and lawyers who worked tirelessly to get to the truth behind Trumps actions。 。。。more

Penny Peck ，

A real page-turner， Swalwell describes his own journey and experience as an elected official with the Impeachment of Trump and the work that went into this unique historical event。 Even though the subject is serious， Swalwell uses a light tone in much of the book， especially his personal life， but is clear on what laws were broken by the current administration。 Because he is my congressperson， I found his personal story interesting， but it is a great example of how someone who is not rich or pol A real page-turner， Swalwell describes his own journey and experience as an elected official with the Impeachment of Trump and the work that went into this unique historical event。 Even though the subject is serious， Swalwell uses a light tone in much of the book， especially his personal life， but is clear on what laws were broken by the current administration。 Because he is my congressperson， I found his personal story interesting， but it is a great example of how someone who is not rich or politically connected can be elected to an important office and do crucial work for our democracy。 。。。more

Joe ，

An inside look how Democratic Party Congresscritters prosecuted TrumpWell was noted that “Impeachment is deterrence” and impeachment is forever。 I felt Rep。 Swalwell was taking me with him in the good effort to hold Trump accountable for his misdeeds withholding aid from Ukraine to get dirt on Joe Biden and his family。 I agree with Rep Swalwell， “This was about vitality of our system of government。 If ever there was a test case of whether a power-mad would-be monarch running amok as U。S。 Preside An inside look how Democratic Party Congresscritters prosecuted TrumpWell was noted that “Impeachment is deterrence” and impeachment is forever。 I felt Rep。 Swalwell was taking me with him in the good effort to hold Trump accountable for his misdeeds withholding aid from Ukraine to get dirt on Joe Biden and his family。 I agree with Rep Swalwell， “This was about vitality of our system of government。 If ever there was a test case of whether a power-mad would-be monarch running amok as U。S。 President could be stopped through the constitutionally mandated provision of impeachment， this was it。”There are a lot of good insights here。 I highly recommend the book。 。。。more

Eloise Hamann ，

Important BookI thoroughly appreciated this part- political- memoir account of events leading to the 45th president’s impeachment。 I followed the process and it fits well with the news accounts。 It was interesting to view it through the eyes of someone integral to the relevant hearings。 The discussion of the importance of courage of doing what’s right versus what protects one’s political courage was particularly refreshing。 The author’s values were shaped by a father who lived his life in accord Important BookI thoroughly appreciated this part- political- memoir account of events leading to the 45th president’s impeachment。 I followed the process and it fits well with the news accounts。 It was interesting to view it through the eyes of someone integral to the relevant hearings。 The discussion of the importance of courage of doing what’s right versus what protects one’s political courage was particularly refreshing。 The author’s values were shaped by a father who lived his life in accordance with his belief that no one is above the law。It is heartwarming to know that there are politicians whose honesty， integrity， and values represent my own in Congress。 The leadership of Pelosi， Schiff， and others are well documented in this well-written， personal account of only the third impeachment process in the country。 All made me proud。 Given the rarity of impeachment， this book will no doubt be cited by many graduate students in writing their theses。 It is clear that some negative reviewers on Amazon belonged to the same “Don’t need to read it” Book Club， but could have agreed to use different language。 No particular criticism beyond use of the word “stinks。” 。。。more

Barb Kozaczuk ，

Very well written and a real eye opener。

Meghan L ，

Super well written。 It was fun to get the “inside scoop” of Rep。 Swalwell’s experience throughout the whole impeachment。 I loved when he wrote about his kids and family。 Thank you， Rep。 Swalwell， for standing up for what is right and working to hold Trump accountable for his actions。

Bobby Craig ，

Excellent reading！ An AMAZING up close and personal look at the corruption， greed， and criminal behavior of Donald Trump told by a congressman who helped lead the efforts to impeach him。 In his book Eric pulls back the curtain to give reader's a glimpse of what it was like to be part of the historical impeachment of a President and chronicles all of the reasons and inner workings of why it HAD to be done！Eric takes readers on a journey from his own life （including growing up with a father in law Excellent reading！ An AMAZING up close and personal look at the corruption， greed， and criminal behavior of Donald Trump told by a congressman who helped lead the efforts to impeach him。 In his book Eric pulls back the curtain to give reader's a glimpse of what it was like to be part of the historical impeachment of a President and chronicles all of the reasons and inner workings of why it HAD to be done！Eric takes readers on a journey from his own life （including growing up with a father in law enforcement） all the way to the day Mueller testified before him。 Also， Putin link that is always connected to Trump， and the attempted extortion of Ukraine which led to impeachment articles。Eric gives a clear， concise， and fascinating look at the extent Donald Trump will go to in order to the same the person he cares about most。 Himself！I highly recommend this book to anyone who care about our county， the rule of law， and the future of our democracy。 Well done Congressman。 You give me hope in our future as a nation！ 。。。more

Amy Williams ，

Rep。 Eric Swalwell did an incredible job of taking me inside the responsibility he and his caucus members facedMany of us woke up to the same shocking news in 2016 that Trump was President。 From the very beginning events became more questionable，can he actually out family members in the White House？ Did he really just eliminate all the policies President Obama out in place？ Are all the people who follow him brainwashed，is every republican in Congress and the Senate？ He just told a straight out l Rep。 Eric Swalwell did an incredible job of taking me inside the responsibility he and his caucus members facedMany of us woke up to the same shocking news in 2016 that Trump was President。 From the very beginning events became more questionable，can he actually out family members in the White House？ Did he really just eliminate all the policies President Obama out in place？ Are all the people who follow him brainwashed，is every republican in Congress and the Senate？ He just told a straight out lie。 Why isn't anyone doing anything？ The picture started to emerge when the people realized Russia had interfered in our election and the Republicans came out swinging。 Then the picture got larger as bills passed the House but sat on McConnell desk because appointing Judges was more important。 The show of bromance with Putin，while insulting our allies。Finally the Ukraine，can you do me a favor。 We watched as you and your brave colleagues defended our Democracy，while being attacked during the procedures，rallies and Twitter。 We protested and called our Senators after McConnell said their would be a fast trail。 We were angry when he wasn't removed and his actions have not changed。 We didn't expect them to。 So NOW we have turned out anger into action。 Groups of us assembled to flip Senate seats ，district seats， Get the Vote out。 We will not be silent。 Your courage taught us we have a Republic if we can keep it。 Our children will ask， what did you do to save our Democracy。 Thank you。 。。。more

Amber - TBR Book Blog ，

Technically I didn't read this book since it was the Audio version， but I still listened to it Tuesday while I worked from home。 This book was a good （albeit bad） reminder of really 2019 and part of 202o as a whole。 I remember each of the hearings and talking with coworkers and friends at work about the trainwreck that Trump was each and every day。 This was a great， insider look at the 18 months regarding the Trump investigations， Impeachment and overall mentality of Congress during this time。 I Technically I didn't read this book since it was the Audio version， but I still listened to it Tuesday while I worked from home。 This book was a good （albeit bad） reminder of really 2019 and part of 202o as a whole。 I remember each of the hearings and talking with coworkers and friends at work about the trainwreck that Trump was each and every day。 This was a great， insider look at the 18 months regarding the Trump investigations， Impeachment and overall mentality of Congress during this time。 It was nice to read/hear thoughts and conversations going on during this highly contentious time。 I don't understand how anyone who has read the reports， facts， etc can still believe in our sham of a "President"。 。。。more

Andrew Dittmar ，

（Hi Goodreads！ I've only written a couple of reviews on here before and tend to be nervous about posting--sticking my neck out there， especially in written form。 So I will likely be continually returning to this to verify I'm clear about my words （and don't have any unfortunate typos！）） Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J。 Trump by Representative Eric Swalwell （D-CA）: 4 starsEric Swalwell is a member of the US House of Representatives， representing California since 2013。 Swalwell won （Hi Goodreads！ I've only written a couple of reviews on here before and tend to be nervous about posting--sticking my neck out there， especially in written form。 So I will likely be continually returning to this to verify I'm clear about my words （and don't have any unfortunate typos！）） Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J。 Trump by Representative Eric Swalwell （D-CA）: 4 starsEric Swalwell is a member of the US House of Representatives， representing California since 2013。 Swalwell won his seat by defeating the multi-decade incumbent Pete Stark in 2012。 He ran a brief campaign for president in 2019。 Probably his most famous moment was his direct attack on Joe Biden at the first primary debate: Swalell used a 1988 quote from Biden about the need to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders。 Swalwell dropped out of the presidential race just two weeks after that， and while his attribution largely seems to have been forgotten， certainly the sentiment is still felt by many political observers。 （For whatever it's worth， I thought the point was a valid one， but I also thought it could've been tossed at several of Swalwell's competitors that night; heck， Bernie Sanders， also onstage that night， is older than Biden。 But that's beside the point， I guess。）This is Swalwell's first book， and it is a good first outing。 It reads smoothly and doesn't have the stilted feel endemic in most political memoirs。Most political candidates who write books seem to use them as methods of introducing themselves and their ideas to the public before the presidential race。 Swalwell didn't have a campaign book， but the first parts of this book absolutely read as something of an introductory political manifesto。 Swalwell walks us through several of the main events in his early life and career。 We learn about his police chief father， and the lesson of standing up for what's right， even if it's unpopular。 We learn about Swalwell's best friend， a Republican who happened to serve as George W。 Bush's chief speechwriter。 Being a Democrat， Swalwell seems to be a bit of a black sheep among his family and friends; he talks about that， but with his understanding that there can be mutual nonpartisan respect outside of political ideology。 Swalwell started his Congressional career by aiming at his own party: he challenged multi-decade incumbent Representative Pete Stark， and won a surprise victory。 In Congress， he talks about his general scorn for the notion that one has to wait their turn。 In just a few years， he found himself on both the intelligence judiciary committees， as well as a part of the party leadership。 In these various positions， he finds himself in some interesting binds。 One stark and rather depressing example is on a congressional trip to Antarctica。 Expecting to learn about climate change， he is frustrated when it seems to be little more than a sight-seeing expedition。 He asks a scientist on board for the trip， to discover she has been hiding Scientific American magazines behind tabloid covers， and has also been ordered not to discuss climate change at all on the trip。 It's a disturbing story， but honestly not at all surprising。 I have to admit that I got caught up in the fervor of the front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination and didn't do as much investigating of the non-front-runner candidates as I should have。 I wish I had: from these earlier parts of the book， Swalwell presents himself as a thoughtful young legislator， one who was worth keeping around in the nomination fight for his ideas even if he was unlikely to reach the convention。The vast majority of the book is about Swalwell's role in Congress during the Trump presidency， and what he sees。 With his joint positions on both the judiciary and intelligence committees， Swalwell spends a large amount of time handling the many and various scandals that permeate the Trump era。 If you're a politically aware reader， the bulk of this book is a bit of a retread。 Swalwell discusses the Russia probe with some depth。 He talks about his role in the 2018 elections。 He talks about the government shutdown。 The litany of these events is practically old news。 I have to admit， for me as a reader， this part dragged a bit。 I've read lots of books about the politics of the last five years， and I have to admit I've developed a bit of numbness to it all。 Swalwell's observations are interesting to read， but they aren't particularly earth-shattering。The purpose of the book， as stated in the title， is to give an insider's account of the Trump impeachment， and unfortunately the same thing can be said here。 Swalwell's description and analysis is certainly competently done: we get a day-by-day account of virtually everything from the whistleblower complaint through the Senate acquittal。 Swalwell had a front-row seat to all of this， of course。 Swalwell doesn't disguise his scorn for the actions of his Republican colleagues。 His contempt for the most vocal of Trump's defenders is honestly understandable。 I mean， when you consider the fact that Matt Gaetz （R-FL） charged into a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility （SCIF， a room designated for the most classified of materials） with a group of his colleagues demanding "transparency" and violating major national security regulations， I feel for Swalwell and his scorn。 （Matt Gaetz has been memorably described the podcast Pod Save America as a "human frat paddle" by Obama aide Tommy Vietor--Swalwell， I think， would agree with that。） On multiple occasions， Swalwell notes with frustration that many， many Republicans either agreed that Trump was out of line or agreed that an investigation was appropriate， but were afraid to speak publicly for fear of reprisal from Trump's Twitter account。 （Swalwell seems regard Jeff Van Drew （R-NY） in particular contempt: Van Drew was an anti-impeachment Democrat who frequently asked his own colleagues for thousands of dollars in campaign support; in December 2019， though， he switched to the Republican Party and pledged to Trump his "undying support"。 Swalwell views this switch as politically expedient in a Republican-leaning district; he also calls it cowardly。）The biggest failing of the book， through all of this， is honestly not Swalwell's fault: the Trump circus has been so thoroughly covered that there is not much new that Swalwell can provide。 So much of what happened was done publicly--from the rough transcript of Trump's phone call with Zelensky （and the much-discussed use of the word "though"） that was released to every televised witness testimony。 I use the word circus， and I mean it: if you're interested in what's happening it's virtually impossible to look away。 The circus seems to even be hampering awareness of this book's publication。 It was released the same day as The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump by Mary C。 Jordan， only the second book to focus exclusively on the First Lady。 The press has been wildly interested in salacious details of Melania's prenup; like many political observers， the press seems to have tired of the impeachment， and coverage of this book's publication seems to be minimal。I give this book four stars out of five， because I think it's a well-executed political memoir of a particular moment in time。 Swalwell notes near the end of the book that he wrote this as a means to preserve a history。 To date， he is the only Democratic congressman to write a full firsthand account of the impeachment。 He isn't an impartial observer， but he never sets out to be。 This is the world as he saw it， and there certainly is value in that。 For me personally， the most significant takeaway from this book has nothing to do with the book itself。 Looking back， the whole Trump impeachment saga seems to have something of a hollowness to it。 While the Senate was convening the non-trial that acquitted Trump， the world was in the beginning stages of a pandemic that would bring life as we knew it to its knees。 Less than three months later， we are also in the throes of of the largest mass risings against racism seen in decades。 The hyper-partisanship of the moment has led to largely inadequate responses to both events: the Republicans are largely refusing to acknowledge either the pandemic or systemic racism， and the Democrats seem to be patting themselves on the back for "progressive" responses to both， without having much to show for it。 In both events， Americans have not looked to the federal government for leadership: they have looked to governors， to mayors， and to local officials in government， and to non-government activists。 The only people looking to Trump are his increasingly-smaller core of true believer loyalists。 Everyone else is looking elsewhere。A lot of folks believe we are witnessing the growing pains of a new world。 In that case， perhaps Swalwell's book serves as a witness to an old world in its death throes。 I think the jury is still out， though。 。。。more