At the end of my July 8 preview, I noted that I would be crestfallen if the first week of sales of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump did not double those of The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton.
Well, I am glad to share that it’s on course to do so in spades!
Mary Trump’s tell-all book had sold a staggering 950,000 copies by the end of its first day on sale, publisher Simon & Schuster said Thursday. …
Just two weeks ago, Simon & Schuster celebrated the success of another Trump tell-all book, that one by former National Security Adviser John Bolton. The book, “The Room Where It Happened,” sold more than 780,000 copies in its first week of sales.
(CNN, July 16, 2020)
In fact, at this rate, Mary’s book could easily sell ten times as many copies in its first week. But, as I indicated in my original commentary, Trump’s presidency has spawned a cottage industry of tell-alls. And America’s addiction to his antics is such that these book sales are tantamount to opioid sales.
Which is why it’s only a matter of time before another tell-all dethrones Mary’s. This, especially with publishers lying in wait to push fixes by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward.
That said, I wrote of Mary serving up revenge cold for the way Donald screwed her out of her inheritance. But, having now seen her in a number of promotional interviews, I am convinced that her motives are every bit as patriotic as she claims.
Still, given how egregiously Donald has exaggerated his wealth, the irony cannot be lost on Mary that this book could make her the richest Trump of them all. It might not be revenge, but it would be sweet.
Finally, apropos of interviews, she gave her first one in prime time last night on The Rachel Maddow Show. Maddow is a diamond in the rough among talk-show hosts on cable TV. But she had a rough moment that made even Mary cringe.
It came when Maddow kept asking Mary to confirm that she had heard Donald say the N-word. Mary said yes, but Maddow persisted, pretending to be “shocked, shocked.” This had her affecting a pregnant pause – complete with bowed head and pursed lips for what could only have been dramatic effect.
Mary was incredulous:
Yeah, of course I did. And I don’t think that should surprise anybody, given how virulently racist he is today.
No sh*t!
Moments like these provoked me nearly seven years ago to write “Journalism Is ‘Having a Very, Very Pathetic Moment,’” November 13, 2013. But I never thought Maddow would ever be the journalist having one of these moments.
Related commentaries:
Trump tell-alls… Journalism…
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