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Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump Hardcover – July 18, 2023
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The author behind the “eye-popping” (CNN) #1 New York Times bestseller A Warning presents an urgent look at how our deeply divided nation is setting the stage for “The Next Trump.”
Donald Trump will be president again, whether he is on the ballot or not. That is because Trumpism is overtaking the Republican Party and will mount a vigorous comeback, potentially in the hands of a savvier successor—The Next Trump.
This prophecy will come true, according to Miles Taylor, if we do not learn the lessons of the recent past.
With the 2024 election approaching, the formerly “Anonymous” official is back with bombshell revelations and a sobering national forecast. Through interviews with dozens of ex-Trump aides and government leaders, Taylor predicts what could happen inside “Trump 2.0,” the White House of a more competent and more formidable copycat.
What sounds like a political thriller—from shadowy presidential powers and CIA betrayals to angry henchmen and assassination plots—is instead America’s political reality, as Taylor uses untold stories to shed light on the ex-President’s unfulfilled plans, the dark forces haunting our civic lives, and how we can thwart the rise of extremism in the United States.
Blowback is also a surprisingly emotional and self-critical portrait of a dissenter, whose own unmasking provides a vivid warning about what happens when we hide the truth from others and, most importantly, ourselves.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAtria Books
- Publication dateJuly 18, 2023
- Dimensions6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101668015986
- ISBN-13978-1668015988
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Another rousing plea to all Americans to stand against authoritarianism.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Miles Taylor's Blowback is a must-read as America faces the threat of a second Trump term…The people behind Trump’s new run are more authoritarian, more determined, and more dangerous than ever. Blowback lays out their plan and the risks it poses to the Republic. Terrifying, readable, and deeply important at this moment.”—Rick Wilson, author of Everything Trump Touches Dies, co-founder of the Lincoln Project
“Miles writes in his latest compelling book, ‘Truth is the final guardrail of our collective democracy.’ He takes us on his complicated, courageous journey to this truth through his poignant personal and professional path…Patriots are found in every corner of our country, and Miles is definitely one of them.”—Matthew Dowd, MSNBC political analyst
“Strap in for this one, folks!...Miles Taylor’s Blowback overwhelms the reader as it warns of complacency in the face political tribalism. Miles reaches into the darker corners of a once proud Republican Party to expose its extremism and embrace of MAGA; and shines the refreshing light of truth on a pathway with no guardrails.”—Michael Steele, Former Republican National Committee chairman
“Blowback is a compelling insider account, a prophecy, a warning, and a vivid illustration of just what is on the line for America in the next several years. Read it if you want to understand just how close to the edge we are as a country – and how we can pull back. Miles Taylor is a powerful, clear-eyed voice about the depth of the challenges we face as a nation.”—Andrew Yang, Former Democratic presidential candidate
“Blowback is quite simply the best and most frightening book written by an insider at the Trump White House. In this masterful tour de force, Miles Taylor not only exposes horrifying, previously unknown truths about our most divisive president, he convincingly shows that the breakdown of reason in the Trump years threatens America’s future. Taylor demonstrates that we cannot count on ‘adults in the room’ to rein in the worst instincts of an autocrat…only the public can save America with a recommitment to democracy. Without that, Blowback makes clear the great American experiment could well collapse in the face of rising autocracy.”--Kurt Eichenwald, New York Times best-selling author of Conspiracy of Fools and The Informant
“One of the few ways to prevent the rise of authoritarianism is to tell the truth about it. Miles Taylor is such a truth-teller and Blowback is a prophetic warning. Sometimes past is prologue. We need to listen and prepare.”—Richard Stengel, Former editor, TIME Magazine
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
October 30, 2020
The sky was cloudy and sullen, as if strewn with ash plumes. I exited the hotel, baseball cap and sunglasses in place, and crossed the street. Aware of everyone, talking to no one. A woman walked her dog. A man in a camouflage hat smoked a cigarette at the corner, while skateboarders weaved in and out of the bike lane. The smell of firewood smoke signaled the arrival of my favorite season, though on this morning, it barely registered. Around the block, I slipped into a bakery
for coffee and a biscuit, keeping my sunglasses on while waiting at the counter. The food lived up to the description, slow-cooked.
Outside again, I walked back to the hotel. A pair of eyes stopped me. The same camo-hat guy from earlier was leaning on a truck, holding my gaze down the street. Something wasn’t right. I changed directions as if I’d forgotten something, rerouting toward my parked car on the other side of the road. Settling into the driver’s seat, I holstered the coffee in the cupholder and watched the man in the rearview mirror. He dropped his cigarette and flattened it with a twist of his boot.
I pulled out of the parking space, planning to do a lap around the block to shake the suspicion. Headlights lit up behind me, and the truck pulled out, too.
It’s a coincidence. Calm down.
As I wound through the still-sleepy North Carolina town—knowing it no better than the distance covered by my high beams in the dim morning—the man seemed to stay with me. Right turn. Left turn. I was being followed, stalked maybe.
I sped a little faster along Asheville’s streets and recalled advice from an ex-CIA mentor. Time. Distance. Direction. It was a technique called a “surveillance detection route.” You tested whether someone was following you by measuring how long, how far, and how directly they remained on your tail. I tried to cool my nerves by running an ad hoc route, even though I had no idea where I was. I vectored away from downtown and took unusual turns, continually checking my rearview mirror.
On the outskirts of Asheville, the truck was still behind me. My heartbeat throbbed in my ears, racing so fast I worried that when it slowed I’d pass out at the wheel. I veered toward the shoulder and braked abruptly. My car shuddered to a halt over the gravel and kicked up a dishwater dust cloud. The truck drove onward and took the highway on-ramp, seemingly oblivious to my abrupt stop. I drove to a nearby parking garage and sat inside waiting, just to be sure. The street was quiet. The truck, nowhere to be seen.
You’re losing it, man.
The paranoia was metastasizing. Before daybreak, I had received a note from a U.S. Secret Service agent: “You should get a security team, fast. I can connect you.” And another from a Silicon Valley billionaire: “I’ll pay your protection costs.” While these were generous offers, I was five hundred miles from home, so for now, I was on my own.
It had started the prior afternoon. The president of the United States launched an “all-out assault” against me (as one news outlet put it) while in Tampa, Florida, at a campaign rally. Or was it a mob riot?
"Bad things are going to happen to him!” Trump warned ominously about the “horrible,” “treasonous” Miles Taylor.
Are you listening to me back in Washington? He should be prosecuted!” he roared, face contorted with rage, apparently directing his words at the Justice Department. The audience lapped it up.
“Traitor!” they shouted back gleefully. His followers began to search for me, online and in real life.
Why? Because I had just deliberately blown my own cover, revealing myself to be a longtime Trump detractor and—most infuriatingly to the president—one of his former aides. Internal dissent was one of Trump’s worst fears. By his own admission, he had spent two years eyeing everyone who entered the Oval Office warily, wondering who in his midst was the elusive inside critic known only as “Anonymous.”
It was me.
Years earlier, I had written an unsigned essay from within the Trump administration, blowing the whistle on White House misconduct. As the unknown author, I detailed the president’s character defects, an administration in chaos, and the alarming views of Trump’s own cabinet members—some of whom contemplated invoking the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to remove the commander in chief amid the instability. I knew these anonymous revelations would lead to a tidal wave of attacks, but I also hoped they would persuade other rational Republicans to tell the truth about the man in the Oval Office.
I was right, at least about the tidal wave.
As I hunkered down in a North Carolina parking garage, Trump’s words from the rally—“Bad things are going to happen to him!”—replayed in my mind. I caught my breath.
No one is following you. You’ve taken all the precautions.
I had locked down my life before going public. While I will refrain from detailing the security measures or trip wires put in place (others are relying on the confidentiality of similar techniques to protect their families), I will note that I was obsessive. The process took months, and not all of it worked, as I soon found out. My accounts, devices, and phone numbers were all new, and my video backdrops became the peeling wallpaper of hotels, lest I give away my location while traveling the country to campaign against my former boss.
When I drove back into Asheville, the smoke-wood fog had burned off. It was light. An optimistic blue sky allayed my anxiety, until I got back to the hotel.
More vitriol had poured into my cell phone while I was gone, flooding the device. Emails, text messages, Twitter posts. They buzzed menacingly on the desk, each of them a digital grim reaper:
“Hope u die a slow painful death and suffer during the entire process, then burn in hell.”
"Your blood will be in the streets traitor.”
“Snitches get stitches.”
My data was littered across the web—my home address, new cell phone number, new email addresses, personal details about family members, and surprisingly accurate guesses about where I was holed up.
Time to go.
I packed my belongings, reloaded the car, and drove several hours east to Charlotte. In the crucial swing state, I planned to get out and triumphantly persuade voters to “put country over party!” by opposing Trump. Now I was little more than a prisoner reassigned to a new cell, shuttling between rented rooms booked under fake names.
Nighttime brought the first in a series of reckonings.
I placed a pillow over the loaded pistol that was my sidekick on the road trip and settled in, eyes on the door. My new accommodations were cheaper than the last, marked by the permeating smell of mold and mildew and by a rust-stained sink and tub. Mattress wires poked through a threadbare comforter, and an increasingly familiar emotion—doubt—did the same.
You think you’re clever? This was a mistake. You did this wrong. All of this.
Without the mask of anonymity, I felt exposed and, for the first time ever, hunted.
Product details
- Publisher : Atria Books (July 18, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1668015986
- ISBN-13 : 978-1668015988
- Item Weight : 1.1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #107,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #163 in Political Corruption & Misconduct
- #302 in Political Commentary & Opinion
- #1,009 in U.S. State & Local History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Miles Taylor is a national security expert who works in Washington, DC. Taylor previously served as chief of staff at the US Department of Homeland Security, where he published an “Anonymous” essay in The New York Times, blowing the whistle on presidential misconduct. He later published the #1 national bestseller A Warning, revealed himself to be the author, and launched a campaign of ex-officials to oppose Donald Trump’s reelection. He’s worked as an advisor in the George W. Bush administration, on Capitol Hill, as a CNN contributor, and is the cofounder of a DC-based charter school and multiple democracy-reform groups. Taylor received his MPhil in international relations from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and BA from Indiana University as a Harry S. Truman scholar.
Customer reviews
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Customers find this book to be a real page-turner with excellent readability. Moreover, the writing style is well-executed, with one customer noting the author's comfortable command of language and organization. Additionally, customers describe the book as terrifying and frightening, with one review comparing it to Hitler's manifesto. The pacing is fast, and customers appreciate the insightful content that makes them think deeply about the subject matter.
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Customers find the book highly readable and engaging, describing it as a page-turner and one of the most important books they've read.
"...Blowback is a great read. It is not difficult for anyone outside of politics to understand...." Read more
"...this with a well told and very personal missive that is a real page-turner. I was left panting for his next installment...." Read more
"This is a great read about the consequences of standing out from the crowd...." Read more
"I enjoyed reading this book...." Read more
Customers find the book insightful and informative, noting it gives them a lot to think about.
"...formerly DHS Chief of Staff in the Trump administration writes an insightful account of who were the White House resistors...." Read more
"...cloaked in perfect metaphors and accurately gives us a well-written factual account of the movement that must be banished by more, not less free..." Read more
"...It is a real insight into how it is working in the US government...." Read more
"...Disturbing. Strongly detailed. Believable. a must read (In My Opinion) for anyone with an open mind." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as well-written and readable, with one customer noting its comfortable command of language and organization.
"...Blowback is a great read. It is not difficult for anyone outside of politics to understand...." Read more
"...His writing style is easy to understand without getting lost in the jargon of political figures...." Read more
"...Perfectly written, easy to read, just don't read it at bedtime or you will have nightmares. Just like our lives will be if that monster wins." Read more
"...This book is very readable and explains to those of us not in government service how utterly inept Trump was, and continues to be...." Read more
Customers find the book terrifying and believable, with one describing it as a dramatic inside story of survival.
"...We are given a clear and frank warning about what will happen should Trump or someone like Trump get elected as President again...." Read more
"...Disturbing. Strongly detailed. Believable. a must read (In My Opinion) for anyone with an open mind." Read more
"...Informative and frightening. Author was ANONYMOUS when wrote op-ed in Times and published his original book...." Read more
"...Miles' story reads like fiction and I had to continually remind myself that this indeed happened...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's pacing, describing it as fast-paced, with one customer noting its prescient nature.
"Miles Taylor is brave, brilliant, truly patriotic, and prescient...." Read more
"very good condition book and quick service from Roger Leslie Mast" Read more
"With a fast-paced and engaging narrative, this book offers some scary truths...." Read more
"I highly recommend this read. It’s fast and well worth it. The Trump Admin was worse than any of us thought." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023Myles Taylor, formerly DHS Chief of Staff in the Trump administration writes an insightful account of who were the White House resistors. We are given a clear and frank warning about what will happen should Trump or someone like Trump get elected as President again. It is as scary as any thriller you could read. The story takes us into meetings in the Oval office, who said what, and who were the adults in the room that were pushing back on Trump's demands. Many of those demands were illegal, such as sending the US military into Mexico to bomb the drug cartels. Taylor also writes about the repercussions for his writing the Op Ed in the NYT, and his first book 'A Warning'. He lived in fear, frequently having to move from place to place as Trump supporters were hunting him looking to take retribution. He often questioned whether he should stand up and speak out, it was a dilema with serious consequences whatever he chose to do. Pointing out that America is so close to losing it's democracy, Taylor encourages us all to stand up and speak out and push back on the lies at every opportunity. Blowback is a great read. It is not difficult for anyone outside of politics to understand. It is straight, to the point, and a book everyone who cares about democracy should read.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2023Miles Taylor is brave, brilliant, truly patriotic, and prescient. He packs in history lessons cloaked in perfect metaphors and accurately gives us a well-written factual account of the movement that must be banished by more, not less free speech and fearless debate. He accomplishes this with a well told and very personal missive that is a real page-turner. I was left panting for his next installment.
He has gone through quite a journey to save all of us, yes, all of us. Liz and Adam might be the two conservative names you are most familair with, as having given up their political lives, but Miles and others have fought just as hard and sufferred just as much. I really had no idea. He is a hero.
The lesson or take-away from both this book and his previous one (A Warning) is that we cannot ignore what is happenning, get our news from non-news outlets, and certainly not via social media. We all must be aware, involved, and most of all, exercise our right to vote.
I want to wish Miles and the other brave Americans who have come forward to confront the right wing extremism in our country the best of luck, and the fortitude to continue this fight, in good health, and devoid of fear. I and like-minded others cheer when we see him do an op-ed, book, podcast or TV appearance.
Godspeed, Miles. You are not just articulate, handsome and brave, you are a part of America's salvation.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2024I was not sure what to expect, but when I started reading this book I could not put it down! It is a real insight into how it is working in the US government. The first thing that jumped out at me was the fact that every single person in government from assistants to congress to the senate are active alcoholics or drug addicts! It is part of the culture inside, it is pushed on you. When I got done reading the book I was even more disgusted with the US government then I thought possible. I though I was already at peak disgust. I was also not surprised though either.
If you want insight into the day to day workings of the US government I highly recommend this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024It’s taken me a while to write this review. I was so engrossed in the writing of Miles Taylor. What he had to say & the bravery to tell all of us is astounding!! However, I was very disappointed about the smudged ink on many of the pages of my book. (See photos) I have more smeared pages than I am posting. Some words were a little hard to decipher but I did get through it. It’s just disappointing when you pay money for a product & it doesn’t meet your standards of quality. Yes. I could have returned it. But, then I thought, maybe some day it could be a collectors item. 😆😆. Just giving you all a heads up the quality is lacking in the printing process.
All cosmetic issues aside, I loved this book. While sometimes I was shocked, I wasn’t surprised. But to see it written in black & white, from a person that was on the inside, is scary.
If you’re a political junky, a newcomer that wants to familiarize yourself about our political arena, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I also would like to ask Miles Taylor to send me a signed copy of Blowback. 😆. Seems fair, right?
It’s taken me a while to write this review. I was so engrossed in the writing of Miles Taylor. What he had to say & the bravery to tell all of us is astounding!! However, I was very disappointed about the smudged ink on many of the pages of my book. (See photos) I have more smeared pages than I am posting. Some words were a little hard to decipher but I did get through it. It’s just disappointing when you pay money for a product & it doesn’t meet your standards of quality. Yes. I could have returned it. But, then I thought, maybe some day it could be a collectors item. 😆😆. Just giving you all a heads up the quality is lacking in the printing process.
All cosmetic issues aside, I loved this book. While sometimes I was shocked, I wasn’t surprised. But to see it written in black & white, from a person that was on the inside, is scary.
If you’re a political junky, a newcomer that wants to familiarize yourself about our political arena, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I also would like to ask Miles Taylor to send me a signed copy of Blowback. 😆. Seems fair, right?
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023The author is a regular on cable news shows warning us about the dangers to democracy represented by the former president and his sycophants. Since he was on the inside, I wanted to read his latest book to see if he is a believable narrator. His writing style is easy to understand without getting lost in the jargon of political figures. He paints a dark picture about what he saw happening and the potential damage of a second Trump presidency. His opinion (based on insider experience) had me more than nervous. His reporting is like the canary in the coal mine ... a predictor that there is danger on the horizon. I hope he's wrong but he makes a compelling case for the electorate to be as informed as possible before the next presidential election. He definitely has an unmistakable opinion and he has me thinking hard. Having said that, I am doing my research before the 2024 election to make sure I vote on what's best for America and democracy.
Disturbing. Strongly detailed. Believable. a must read (In My Opinion) for anyone with an open mind.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2025Lordy, I wish more people had read this when it was, published in July 2023. The problem is most people who should have read this aren't thoughtful readers. As a result, we are now living the nightmare of the book's predictions. And Miles is being investigated for treason. Strange times. But then, we were warned...
Top reviews from other countries
- Deborah ShayneReviewed in Italy on September 29, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Blowback
I though this book would be telling me stuff about Trump I already knew, but the inside formation , the details about Trump’s obsessions about making America into a fortress, excluding everyone from seeking a new life, his craven disregard for humanity, was still shocking. As an ex pat living in another country, I still weep for my native country. There are many ideas as to why Trump was elected, why the cancer continues, and authoritarian governments exist everywhere in the world. Hopefully, in the end, the United States will not become one of them.
- Jason WightmanReviewed in Canada on November 6, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
great read,
- linda brownReviewed in Canada on August 29, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars eyes wide open
Finally- someone is telling the truth🙌. It is time for change - especially how politics and politicians conduct business. Politicians have forgotten that they work for the all the people- not one person or one party.
- JohnReviewed in Canada on August 31, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Very readable
Interesting take on what was happening during Trump's admin.
- RogerReviewed in Canada on August 8, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart
This book is a gripping and almost horrifying expose on Trump and his administration. It is a must read and a great companion as well to Michael Cohen's book Revenge. Read them both.