Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
I note that a disproportionate number of reviewers begin with a statement what goes something like: "I feel like I need to explain why I read this book at all..." I'll spare you that, aside from the fact that I'm fast running out of new reads, what with the library closure (!) and all, that's making the acquisition of new reading material a daunting and rather expensive prospect. Really, that's about as deep as it goes. No agenda, no looking to dish-on-the-Don (although, seriously, it's not hard: I prefer a real challenge, personally, and he's certainly low-hanging fruit in that regard), just looking for something to read.
Confession: I've never actually seen The Apprentice, where the (purported) author gained her first claim to fame, so much of that background is unfamiliar. I remember hearing about all the hype, which is why I avoided it, honestly. I haven't had a TV in seven years, and the advent of "reality" fake TV is a primary reason. Anywho: much of the early chapters are an autobiography of the author, who, admittedly, is an enviably-accomplished woman whose story is certainly inspiring. From the projects of rust-belt Ohio to the bright lights and big city, to the White House, Omarosa is certainly a force to be reckoned with. I was unaware that she had spent so much time in the White House and in politics before her stint on The Apprentice, after which she became something of a "reality show" denizen, before again returning to politics. From what I've read over the last several months, the profession seems almost a quagmire, drawing its victims back into the bowels of the earth; even if they leave, they never really escape it.
To me, it seemed that the bulk of this book was largely an apology, in the Classical sense of the word: it's a defense, of herself, and, notwithstanding how she was treated, occasionally even of the Don and his antics in some respects, and an explanation of her whole whirlwind adventure in Trumpland (her term, not mine). It's not as salacious as one might expect, but there's a fair bit of mud-slinging (and Don's far from the only target), which is not surprising, considering how she at least alleges that she was betrayed, but by whom is still uncertain. Much of the later content focuses on why she stayed so long: she states, as we've heard before from other former orbiters of the inner circle, that the Don demands total and unquestioning loyalty, and then abandons and attacks anyone whom he perceives to have crossed him.
Curiously, Omarosa also spends a fair amount of time defending him, at least initially, arguing that his arrogance and bombastic, pugilistic, incisive style of "leadership," the demand for utter "perfection," in his view (which I believe is more related to a rather persistent case of obsessive-compulsive disorder) are the desirable traits of a highly driven and successful businessman with an almost superhuman acumen and insight into the weaknesses of other people, which he can then exploit to gain the upper hand. Omarosa also expresses her belief that this was a primary reason why she and the Don got on so well: they're very similar political animals, and he saw something of himself in her, which may explain the rather unexpected bond which developed between them over the course of a near-fifteen-year professional relationship, culminating in her employment in his administration.
What I think that I appreciated most is her frank candor: she admits, sort of, that she screwed up in getting involved in the whole fiasco, and that she was loyal too long, and should have got out far before she was "asked" to "resign." She concedes that she ignored too many warning signs and red flags, some of them downright disturbing, but chose to stick it out when she shouldn't have, especially when she, in her own words, realized that the Don truly was a braggart blowhard who genuinely is a serious racist, misogynistic, homophobic bigot, one who for an indeterminate reason is no longer able to conceal his true self behind the carefully-crafted and meticulously maintained facade.
That's an area where I think the book is deficient. Omarosa doesn't really take responsibility for the personal reasons she stuck it out, specifically her own ambitions, and the fame and fortune which came with her position. The social events, the media coverage, the attention, the money, all things she states that she's coveted since she was a child. Best example: even after this fiasco, including her "firing," she immediately signs up for Celebrity Big Brother. She can't stay away from the limelight. She calls it a "detox" from the Don and his ilk... by injecting herself into yet another three-ring circus? This is a person who clearly has a pathological need for adulation, to be the center of attention like her former employer, and who is so addicted to fame that she is willing to sacrifice her own health, welfare, dignity and self-respect for the next "hit," just like addicts do.
The result: an ugly wound and persistent scars inflicted by the bite of The Fame Monster. The title, "Unhinged," may be intended to apply to the Don, but I would argue that it equally applies to Omarosa. It speaks to her assertion that Don's mental state has certainly slipped from the time she first met him, when he was a sharp and competent executive, who may have made a decent president, but no longer: his mental state has declined too far for that. As she noted, however, these attention-seekers are two peas in a pod, and her own life has gone off the rails at some point, also. Based on what she reveals about her own life and exploits, Omarosa herself would do well to do some serious soul-searching and engage in some painful introspection, so that she doesn't end up like him, if it's not already too late.
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re: Hillary voted for The Wall: In 1006, as a senator for New York, she voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act's seven-hundred-mile fence between the United States and Mexico.
Confession: I've never actually seen The Apprentice, where the (purported) author gained her first claim to fame, so much of that background is unfamiliar. I remember hearing about all the hype, which is why I avoided it, honestly. I haven't had a TV in seven years, and the advent of "reality" fake TV is a primary reason. Anywho: much of the early chapters are an autobiography of the author, who, admittedly, is an enviably-accomplished woman whose story is certainly inspiring. From the projects of rust-belt Ohio to the bright lights and big city, to the White House, Omarosa is certainly a force to be reckoned with. I was unaware that she had spent so much time in the White House and in politics before her stint on The Apprentice, after which she became something of a "reality show" denizen, before again returning to politics. From what I've read over the last several months, the profession seems almost a quagmire, drawing its victims back into the bowels of the earth; even if they leave, they never really escape it.
To me, it seemed that the bulk of this book was largely an apology, in the Classical sense of the word: it's a defense, of herself, and, notwithstanding how she was treated, occasionally even of the Don and his antics in some respects, and an explanation of her whole whirlwind adventure in Trumpland (her term, not mine). It's not as salacious as one might expect, but there's a fair bit of mud-slinging (and Don's far from the only target), which is not surprising, considering how she at least alleges that she was betrayed, but by whom is still uncertain. Much of the later content focuses on why she stayed so long: she states, as we've heard before from other former orbiters of the inner circle, that the Don demands total and unquestioning loyalty, and then abandons and attacks anyone whom he perceives to have crossed him.
Curiously, Omarosa also spends a fair amount of time defending him, at least initially, arguing that his arrogance and bombastic, pugilistic, incisive style of "leadership," the demand for utter "perfection," in his view (which I believe is more related to a rather persistent case of obsessive-compulsive disorder) are the desirable traits of a highly driven and successful businessman with an almost superhuman acumen and insight into the weaknesses of other people, which he can then exploit to gain the upper hand. Omarosa also expresses her belief that this was a primary reason why she and the Don got on so well: they're very similar political animals, and he saw something of himself in her, which may explain the rather unexpected bond which developed between them over the course of a near-fifteen-year professional relationship, culminating in her employment in his administration.
What I think that I appreciated most is her frank candor: she admits, sort of, that she screwed up in getting involved in the whole fiasco, and that she was loyal too long, and should have got out far before she was "asked" to "resign." She concedes that she ignored too many warning signs and red flags, some of them downright disturbing, but chose to stick it out when she shouldn't have, especially when she, in her own words, realized that the Don truly was a braggart blowhard who genuinely is a serious racist, misogynistic, homophobic bigot, one who for an indeterminate reason is no longer able to conceal his true self behind the carefully-crafted and meticulously maintained facade.
That's an area where I think the book is deficient. Omarosa doesn't really take responsibility for the personal reasons she stuck it out, specifically her own ambitions, and the fame and fortune which came with her position. The social events, the media coverage, the attention, the money, all things she states that she's coveted since she was a child. Best example: even after this fiasco, including her "firing," she immediately signs up for Celebrity Big Brother. She can't stay away from the limelight. She calls it a "detox" from the Don and his ilk... by injecting herself into yet another three-ring circus? This is a person who clearly has a pathological need for adulation, to be the center of attention like her former employer, and who is so addicted to fame that she is willing to sacrifice her own health, welfare, dignity and self-respect for the next "hit," just like addicts do.
The result: an ugly wound and persistent scars inflicted by the bite of The Fame Monster. The title, "Unhinged," may be intended to apply to the Don, but I would argue that it equally applies to Omarosa. It speaks to her assertion that Don's mental state has certainly slipped from the time she first met him, when he was a sharp and competent executive, who may have made a decent president, but no longer: his mental state has declined too far for that. As she noted, however, these attention-seekers are two peas in a pod, and her own life has gone off the rails at some point, also. Based on what she reveals about her own life and exploits, Omarosa herself would do well to do some serious soul-searching and engage in some painful introspection, so that she doesn't end up like him, if it's not already too late.
------------
re: Hillary voted for The Wall: In 1006, as a senator for New York, she voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act's seven-hundred-mile fence between the United States and Mexico.
