Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency is a 2017 book by Bloomberg Businessweek journalist Joshua Green about the partnership between Donald Trump and Steve Bannon that led to their 2016 political victory and the rise of the alt-right.[1][2][3] Prior to writing the book, Green had worked as a journalist for The Atlantic and Bloomberg, where he garnered experience reporting on conservatives.[4] He had previously written a profile on Bannon in 2015, and interviewed Bannon for the book.[4][5]
The book describes Bannon's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and how he helped lead Trump to success by capitalizing on the support of white males.[6]
The New York Review of Books called Green's work a "cautionary tale".[4]The New York Times described Green's research as "deeply reported".[1]The Washington Post commented Green was able to shed a light on Bannon's political operations.[3]The Guardian concluded Devil's Bargain successfully illuminated the "symbiotic relationship" between Trump and Bannon.[7]Paste commented on the writing style of the "compelling stories" in Green's work.[8]Salon observed Green had "amazing access" during the course of his research for the book.[5]
Contents summary
Devil's Bargain details the relationship between Trump and Bannon, the gaining influence of the alt-right movement during the same time period, and the events which led up to Trump's victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[1][2][3] Green describes the shared dislike of Hillary Clinton felt by Trump and Bannon, and their mutual dislike for the state of the country prior to Trump's campaign.[7]
The book recounts the precise nature of why Chris Christie was fired by Trump from the presidential campaign.[8] Green writes the firing was due to Christie attempting to use his own personal cell phone to take a call on election night from President Barack Obama.[8]
The author writes that Bannon garnered knowledge in his work with Breitbart News on how best to gather together white men who would support Trump in his election bid.[6] Green concludes that there was a Shakespearean irony in the fact that Bannon succeeded in getting Trump elected as U.S. president, but his candidate lacked the personal restraint necessary to accomplish simple goals.[6]
Composition and publication
Prior to writing Devil's Bargain, Green had worked as a journalist at The Atlantic and subsequently Bloomberg Businessweek, where he reported on Republican political figures after the George W. Bush administration.[4] Green wrote an article for Bloomberg which gave a detailed analysis of Bannon in October 2015, ten months before Bannon assumed leadership of Trump's campaign for U.S. president.[4] Green interviewed Bannon himself for the book.[5]
Reception
The New York Review of Books wrote in its review, "Green's book is in part a cautionary tale: both Trump and Bannon have a history of being taken lightly only to rear up and catch the skeptics by surprise."[4]The New York Times called the book a "deeply reported and compulsively readable account of Bannon's fateful political partnership with Trump".[1]The Washington Post wrote, "Green's book strips away the mystery surrounding Bannon".[3]The Guardian commented that the book "vividly pulls back the curtain on the symbiotic relationship between two of America's most polarizing figures."[7]Paste magazine wrote that "There are several, compelling stories in the book".[8]Salon noted, "Green does seem to have had amazing access to many people, most especially Bannon himself whom he apparently interviewed at length."[5]
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