Blowback - by Miles Taylor

Book Synopsis

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."

After a chaotic and violent first Trump presidency, Miles Taylor knew one thing for sure: Trump would be president again, whether he was on the ballot or not. Taylor knew intimately that Trumpism was overtaking the Republican Party and was bound to mount a vigorous comeback. Now, following the 2024 presidential election, his prophecy has come true.

With Blowback, 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 predicted what could happen inside "Trump 2.0." What sounds like a political thriller--from questionable 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 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.

Review Quotes

"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


"Blowback reads like a thriller and hits you like a tornado siren. Miles Taylor has provided the most vivid and authoritative account yet of what a 'Trump 2.0' would look like. This is a warning that must be heeded."--Lt. Col. Alex Vindman (ret), Former director, White House National Security Council and author of Here, Right Matters

"Another rousing plea to all Americans to stand against authoritarianism."--Kirkus Reviews

"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

"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

"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


"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

"Taylor's cautionary narrative has a place in library collections for its compelling backstory and for its guidance for dissent against MAGA extremism. Americans will hope that Taylor is relaying obvious anti-democratic actions and not giving MAGA ideas."--Booklist

"To Taylor's credit, "Blowback" is full of regret. By book's end, Taylor has decided that anonymity itself, the mask he wore for years, "symbolizes the greatest threat to democracy. The most moving passages in the book are those in which Taylor wrestles not with political monsters, but with his own demons. The mask of anonymity is entwined with his alcoholism; his recovery only arrived when he spoke truthfully in his own name. Taylor describes how falsity gnaws at the soul. Courage doesn't always come on time, but as many an addict has ruefully remarked, it's better late than never."--The New York Times

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.