This is a satirical portrayal of Donald Trump’s ascent to power and his unconventional alliance with Vladimir Putin. Trump, depicted as egotistical and emotionally stunted since childhood, transitions from real estate to reality TV before entering politics. He recruits shock jock Alex Clamz for his presidential campaign, facing off against the sensible Mallory Claxton. Despite scandal and controversy, Trump wins the presidency with covert support from Putin. The narrative humorously highlights their contrasting personalities, with Putin portrayed as a former KGB agent with unique coping mechanisms. The story unfolds with absurdity and farce, reflecting on contemporary political dynamics through a comedic lens.
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- “How do you balance humor with political commentary in your narrative?”
I never thought about “political commentary” at all. The book is an entertainment, a raucous. burlesque satire. As Kirkus said “..the book is genuinely funny…and also slyly interjects some serious reflection into its vaudeville..” That reflection is a by-product of the characters I wanted to include, and their collision with each other.
2. “Which character in the book do you resonate with the most, and why?”
I resonate with every character, to some degree. However, should a film be produced of the material, I’d love to play Alex Clamz (Alex Jones). I watched him a lot on Youtube and only exaggerated his verbiage 10%. He’s all out there: scary-funny and monstrous-infantile. Maybe because I played the world’s first traveling salesman, Salmoneus in Hercules and Xena, I get Alex’s methodology.
3. “What do you hope readers take away from your book?
Much hearty laughter. And a strong determination TO VOTE! And encourage others to vote. Nobody can sit this one out.
4. “How did you approach the research process for this book?”
I’m tempted to point to my head and say “It’s all up here.” But that’s too Trumpy, given the nature of the book. After I decided not to be a depressive misanthrope from the 2016 election, I delved deeply into the rabbit hole of Trumpworld. My research went into his upbringing, the family’s racist rental policies (for which they were sued, and lost), and mostly the influence of Roy Cohn on the family’s flexible attitude toward the law. I’m also something of a cable news junkie, and when a nugget would catch my ear, like Trump’s infatuation with Hitler’s Mein Kampf, or his penchant for walking into beauty contestants’ dressing rooms without being announced, I would jot it down for further investigation. I also noted Putin’s rise from the KGB, and extreme despair over the collapse of the USSR. I play Putin off Trump as a counterpoint throughout the book.
Robert Trebor is a character actor with more than 40 years experience on stage, film and television. Two of his noteworthy roles are The Son of Sam in the film Out Of The Darkness, and Salmoneus the merchant in the Hercules and Xena TV series. Playing both a psychopath and a salesman was enormously helpful in preparing this book. For more information – https://roberttrebor.net/