Fools on the Hill

More about the book

From inside the chamber, bestselling author Dana Milbank reveals the chaotic and dysfunctional state of the Republican House—a group racing to the bottom, devoid of shame and effectiveness. On January 3, 2023, a slim Republican majority took control, and dysfunction erupted immediately, needing fifteen ballots to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker—the longest process since the eve of the Civil War. They soon ousted McCarthy and spent a month searching for a replacement, threatening the understudy with the same fate. This group, from Marjorie Taylor Greene to George Santos to Jim Jordan, found conspiracies everywhere, from aliens to the "war" on gas stoves and Hunter Biden's artwork. They turned Americans against each other, attacking immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and even the military, while hijacking bills with far-right fantasies. Despite their antics, they achieved little, engaging in petty squabbles instead of addressing essential tasks like paying bills and maintaining government operations. Milbank spent a year reporting from the Capitol, witnessing what he describes as the most insane and incompetent Congressional session in memory. This book pulls back the veil on the chaos and absurdity defining the modern GOP, offering a mix of horror and humor—yet, tragically, all true.