constituents because they feel like they don t necessarily trust the media. they feel like they don t necessarily trust the democrats any more than they can trust the united states. the president sent 240 tweets this week, only about five of them came anywhere near a legislative agenda. can the president successfully say we ve got do-nothing democrats when those people who might want to drown out the media know what s actually getting done in their home towns? no, of course i can t say that. but i think we re well beyond legislative arguments and policy arguments when it comes to the sentiments of the american people or at least the fight that the president is trying to wage. this is very much an emotional fight. i don t want to say it s a fight for the narrative. i think it s more just a fight for sort of the hearts and minds of people who are feeling in increasingly confused by this whole process. i think if you have been watching our network or if you ve been reading the new yo
tone that donald trump set on day one. american carnage also happens to be the title of a new book. on the political climate that allowed for a trump victory, the author who joins us in just a moment writes his was a canopy of discontent under which the grudging masses could air their grievances about a nation they no longer recognized and a government they no longer trusted. these voters were far less likely to respond to policy arguments than they were to emotional appeals aimed at their long-simmering sense of grievance. here with us tonight is chief political correspondent for politico magazine. the book officially american carnage on the front lines of the republican civil war and the rise of president trump. you may not want to hear this, but your book in my view has a lot to do with the mueller report in that there is so much in here you hope for people to
grudging masses could air their grievances about a nation they no longer recognized and a government they no longer trusted. these voters were far less likely to respond to policy arguments than they were to emotional appeals aimed at their long-simmering sense of grievance. here with us tonight is chief political correspondent for politico magazine. the book officially american carnage on the front lines of the republican civil war and the rise of president trump. you may not want to hear this, but your book in my view has a lot to do with the mueller report in that there is so much in here you hope for people to really read it, all of it and get through it. it is so dense. and you re reporting is so original. let me start with a very basic question. how is it a cultural democrat from new york was able to walk
it is a great cause for the republic and let s focus on that and not make it personal. you know, alice, it s pretty clear from what donald trump is doing he does not want to make this an argument about policy. this is not about socialism versus freedom. there s a lot of republicans are saying now this is clearly a racist appeal, a xenophobic appeal. that is what he is doing because he knows that he has not delivered on his promises from 2016. he is not re-opening steel mills. he s not bringing back coal mining jobs. and this is basically a way that he can distract his blue collar supporters in swing states from his failures to deliver on his other pledges because he is basically mobilizing them against hatred of others, hatred against these women of color, hatred of muslimss, hatred of these democrats who he s attacking not with policy arguments but with these rank racist appeals. sadly it is resonating.
a lot of people are asking to tone the rhetoric down. in terms of let s make the focus on policy. let s make it about the issues that these four congressmen represent that are now really the face of the democratic party and are not reflective of where america wants to go, in the direction we want to go, and i think this is a valid argument. it is a great cause for the republic and let s focus on that and not make it personal. you know, alice, it s pretty clear from what donald trump is doing he does not want to make this an argument about policy. this is not about socialism versus freedom. there s a lot of republicans are saying now this is clearly a racist appeal, a xenophobic appeal. that is what he is doing because he knows that he has not delivered on his promises from 2016. he is not re-opening steel mills. he s not bringing back coal mining jobs. and this is basically a way that he can distract his blue collar supporters in swing states from his failures to deliver on his oth