Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress
by Annie Karni
The 118th Congress enacted just 27 bills, the fewest since the Great Depression. Karni and Broadwater show you why: a razor-thin Republican majority let about 20 hard-right members hold the rest hostage, from Kevin McCarthy's 15 speaker ballots to his ouster about ten months later.
Core ideas
- Bannon's basement: Steve Bannon's daily podcast near Capitol Hill gave far-right members a fundraising platform, and he helped plan Matt Gaetz's move against McCarthy.
- The dog park handoff: To pass Ukraine aid, Mike Johnson's chief of staff swapped folders with Biden advisers at a dog park, and Marjorie Taylor Greene threatened to oust Johnson.
- A job people quit: Several Republicans quit mid-term or retired, citing travel, family time and violent threats that meant paying for their own security.
Published2025
Pages320
ISBN9780593731260
ReadDec 2025
