In Profiles in Cowardice, Jacob Weisberg has written one of the defining books of the Trump era, exploring how this extreme political moment happened, why so few resisted, and what it reveals about the character of American leadership.
Focusing on the first Trump presidency, Weisberg follows eight individuals at the center of power in the United States, from corporate America to the U.S. Senate. He offers a poignant depiction of how authoritarianism can take root in an open society—not by overthrowing institutions, but by giving way to a malignant leader bending and bullying it into submission.
The book is a masterful study of the ways people rationalize the worst human instincts. Above all, fear is the great enemy of democracy, and the book illuminates how it operates, how it disguises itself, and how it spreads. Its profiles hold up a mirror, challenging readers to examine their own instincts, their own silences, and their own thresholds for action. This is not a morality tale with easy villains. It is an attempt to describe the moral mechanics of democratic failure. By studying that failure up close, we may better understand what courage truly requires—and why it is so rarely summoned when it matters most.
Please join CAP for an event featuring opening remarks by CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden and a conversation between U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D–CT) and author Jacob Weisberg. The conversation will focus on the content of the book and our path forward.
There will be free signed copies of Profiles in Cowardice available following the event for those attending in person only, while supplies last. For the online audience, you can purchase the book here.