Time to Get Tough
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''Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again'' is a non-fiction book by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. It was published in hardcover format by
Regnery Publishing Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and is now a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group. It is led by President & Publisher Thomas Sp ...
in 2011, and reissued under the title ''Time to Get Tough: Make America Great Again!'' in 2015 to match Trump's 2016 election campaign slogan. Trump had previously published ''
The America We Deserve ''The America We Deserve'' is a book about public policy written by American businessman (and later, 45th U.S. President) Donald Trump and author Dave Shiflett. It was published in January 2000, while Trump was considering running for president ...
'' (2000) as preparation for his attempt to run in the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign with a
populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
platform. ''Time to Get Tough'' in contrast served as his prelude to the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, with a conservative platform. In the book, Trump argues that he would be an effective leader of the United States. Mixing personal stories with his prescriptions for U.S. policy, Trump recounts lessons learned as host of ''
The Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...
'' and his experience being satirized at the 2011
White House Correspondents' Association Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
. On domestic policy, Trump recommends abolishing U.S. corporate tax and raising the retirement age. On foreign policy, he criticizes the negative impact of China and
OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
on the U.S. Trump praises Russian leader
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, saying, "I respect Putin and the Russians". ''Time to Get Tough'' asserts business experience can be transposed into governmental success, and that experiences in global finance deals can help negotiate governmental agreements. ''
Breitbart News ''Breitbart News Network'' (known commonly as ''Breitbart News'', ''Breitbart'', or ''Breitbart.com'') is an American far-rightMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 b ...
'' contributors
Wynton Hall Wynton C. Hall is an American author and the managing editor and social media director of ''Breitbart News''. He is also the owner of Wynton Hall & Co, a celebrity ghostwriting and communications agency, and a communication strategist for the Gove ...
and
Peter Schweizer Peter Franz Schweizer (born November 24, 1964) is an American political consultant and writer. He is the president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), senior editor-at-large of far-right media organization Breitbart News, and a form ...
helped write the book, as did writer
Meredith McIver Meredith McIver (born 1950/51) is a staff writer for The Trump Organization, an author, and a former ballerina. She is credited with ghostwriting multiple books by Donald Trump and was described in 2007 as an "assistant" to him. Early life McIve ...
. The book debuted at No. 27 on ''The New York Times Best'' Seller list. A book review from '' On the Issues'' was critical, noting how Trump had flip-flopped on political views from his previous policy book. ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'' called the book's domestic-policy writing style boring. ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' book critic Carlos Lozada criticized Trump for lambasting ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' on his campaign while simultaneously advertising the book as a ''New York Times'' Best Seller. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' called the work a "diatribe against the Obama presidency,
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
, and the people and media outlets who have dared to criticize him."


Summary

''Time to Get Tough'' describes Trump's views on the state of the United States in 2011 and was intended to inform Americans about his ideals. The book explains why he believed the U.S. economy was suffering, criticizes President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, and describes ideals which would guide him if he were leading the country. In the book, he calls America "the greatest country the world has ever known." The book mixes Trump's political ideology with personal anecdotes. He asserts that
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
owes him her success because she performed at
Miss Universe 2008 Miss Universe 2008 was the 57th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008. This was the first time that the Miss Universe pageant was broadcast in 1080i High-definition. At the end of th ...
six months before her first
number one Number One most commonly refers to: * 1 (number) Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song * ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song * ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC * ''n.1' ...
hit. A document in the book describes his financial position and asserts his economic value to be
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
7 billion. Trump says his time as host of ''
The Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...
'' helped his
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
and says the experience taught him that a person with negative characteristics can be successful if their TV ratings are high. He also recalls his feelings while being satirized at the 2011
White House Correspondents' Association Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
by President Obama, and criticizes the comedic performance of
Seth Meyers Seth Adam Meyers (born December 28, 1973) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, and television host. He hosts ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', a late-night talk show on NBC. Prior to that, he was a cast member and head writer for NBC ...
. Trump divides a discussion of U.S. domestic policy into sections on
social programs Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
,
healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
, and
taxes A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or ...
, each of which starts with a criticism of President Obama. Trump calls the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
a type of
socialized medicine Socialized medicine is a term used in the United States to describe and discuss systems of universal health care—medical and hospital care for all by means of government regulation of health care and subsidies derived from taxation. Because of ...
and says it will harm employment. Trump describes a plan for four tiers of income taxes, with the top bracket being taxed at 15 percent on annual income above US$ 1 million, and abolishing
corporate tax in the United States Corporate tax is imposed in the United States at the federal, most state, and some local levels on the income of entities treated for tax purposes as corporations. Since January 1, 2018, the nominal federal corporate tax rate in the United States ...
. With regards to
Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
, Trump recommends lifting the retirement age and spending the savings elsewhere. Other chapters express support for increased military spending and criticism of
free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econo ...
, and call for curtailing
immigration to the United States Immigration has been a major source of population growth and Culture of the United States, cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. In absolute numbers, the United States has a larger immigrant population than a ...
. He criticizes
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
, saying it causes economic harm to American citizens. On foreign policy, Trump writes critically of the impact of China and
OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
on the U.S. He offers a list of leadership qualities he calls necessary to negotiate with them and says the U.S. requires a leader with firm ideals who can stand firm during international negotiations. Other recommendations include a lawsuit against OPEC and a 25 percent tax on all products imported from China. He expresses his doubt that China would refuse trade deals because the U.S. market is so lucrative. ''Time to Get Tough'' also details Trump's favorable views about Russian leader
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
as a person and his methods of governing. * * * He writes that Putin has a unique plan for Russia * * * and praises Putin's strategy to dominate neighboring countries in the region and become the primary oil supplier for European countries. * * * But Trump also criticizes President Obama for not doing more to oppose Putin. * * Trump asserts that his business experience, which included negotiations with difficult and stubborn people, would easily translate to the public sector and international relations. He expresses interest in moving high finance businessmen to the global stage, writing that America requires new leadership from those with experience in cutthroat financial private sector tactics.


Composition and publication

''Time to Get Tough'' functioned as a prelude to Trump's 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, similar to the way 2000 book ''
The America We Deserve ''The America We Deserve'' is a book about public policy written by American businessman (and later, 45th U.S. President) Donald Trump and author Dave Shiflett. It was published in January 2000, while Trump was considering running for president ...
'' served as preparation for his attempt to run in the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign. ''The America We Deserve'' presented his campaign as a populist platform, whereas ''Time to Get Tough'' displayed how Trump's views had changed and were more aligned with conservative political ideals.
Ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
s on the book included ''
Breitbart News ''Breitbart News Network'' (known commonly as ''Breitbart News'', ''Breitbart'', or ''Breitbart.com'') is an American far-rightMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 b ...
'' Managing Editor
Wynton Hall Wynton C. Hall is an American author and the managing editor and social media director of ''Breitbart News''. He is also the owner of Wynton Hall & Co, a celebrity ghostwriting and communications agency, and a communication strategist for the Gove ...
and Senior Editor-at-Large
Peter Schweizer Peter Franz Schweizer (born November 24, 1964) is an American political consultant and writer. He is the president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), senior editor-at-large of far-right media organization Breitbart News, and a form ...
.
Meredith McIver Meredith McIver (born 1950/51) is a staff writer for The Trump Organization, an author, and a former ballerina. She is credited with ghostwriting multiple books by Donald Trump and was described in 2007 as an "assistant" to him. Early life McIve ...
also contributed to the writing process. The author held a book signing at
Trump Tower Trump Tower is a 58-story, mixed-use skyscraper at 721–725 Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, between East 56th and 57th Streets. The building contains the headquarters for the Trump Organization, as well ...
in New York City to promote the work. Trump traveled to Chicago in 2011 to market the work, and was interviewed by Carol Felsenthal in ''
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
''. The new title for the 2015 edition, ''Time to Get Tough: Make America Great Again!'', matched Trump's campaign slogan in the 2016 election for U.S. president. ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' contacted the book's publisher to inquire what had changed about the book for the 2015 edition. A representative for the publisher responded to ''The Washington Post'', "many of the changes are minimal on the interior". The book was first published in 2011 in hardcover format by
Regnery Publishing Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and is now a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group. It is led by President & Publisher Thomas Sp ...
. An ebook was released the same year, along with an audiobook read by Malcolm Hillgartner. A Russian language print edition was published in 2011. Another audiobook was released in 2012, this time read by
Jim Meskimen James Ross Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist, who is best known for his voice-over work in video games. Early life James Ross Meskimen was born in Santa Monica, California on September 10, 1959 ...
. The book was reissued in 2015 by Regnery Publishing in paperback format, this time with the new title. This edition was published in Vietnamese in 2016, and in Japanese in 2017.


Sales and reception

The book debuted on several of ''The New York Times'' Best Seller lists on December 25, 2011, including the hardcover nonfiction section, combined hardcover and paperback nonfiction, e-book nonfiction, and combined print and e-book nonfiction. In all categories, it was near the 30th position. By January 8, 2012, the hardcover edition had risen to the sixth spot.
Nielsen BookScan BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry that compiles point of sale data for book sales, owned by The NPD Group in the United States and the Nielsen Company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South ...
indicated 34,264 copies of the book had been sold by mid-2015 and showed interest in the book was increasing. The week after his election win in November 2016, the book sold 310 copies, representing a 675% increase in sales. The same month, the book made the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' best seller list when a signed copy of the 2011 edition sold for $3,500, which the paper noted was the highest price for a book by Donald Trump successfully sold by bookseller AbeBooks. Trump reported in 2016 that he received between $100,000 and $1 million in income from total sales of the book. A book review from '' On the Issues'' written by Jesse Gordon was critical, noting how Trump had flip-flopped on political views from his prior policy book, ''
The America We Deserve ''The America We Deserve'' is a book about public policy written by American businessman (and later, 45th U.S. President) Donald Trump and author Dave Shiflett. It was published in January 2000, while Trump was considering running for president ...
''. Gordon wrote that the book exhibited a swap by Trump on issues from supporting populism to espousing extreme right-wing values. He noted the book's purpose was to prepare his potential 2012 bid for president. Gordon concluded the book was Trump's way of garnering trust among conservatives. ''On the Issues'' published a table contrasting how his stated political preferences had changed from 2000, on issues including
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
,
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...
,
gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...
, tax reform, and health care. Carol Felsenthal of ''
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
'' wrote that Trump's verbal style of braggadocio clearly came through in the work. Michael Tomasky reviewed the work for ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'', and echoed the assessment by ''On the Issues'' that it was a political tool for Trump's 2012 presidential aspirations. Tomasky observed the book was "comfortably within the standard campaign self-promotion genre" and marketed Trump with a conservative ideology. He pointed out Trump used
Regnery Publishing Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and is now a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group. It is led by President & Publisher Thomas Sp ...
, a conservative book outlet. Tomasky wrote Trump's domestic policy proposals were boring. Stephan Lee, in a review for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', wrote that the book, "reads like a 190-page diatribe against the Obama presidency, illegal immigration, and the people and media outlets who have dared to criticize him." Carlos Lozada, nonfiction book critic for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', pointed out the timing and purpose of the book. Lozada highlighted the contradictory nature of Trump's harsh criticism on the campaign trail for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', while simultaneously touting the book as a ''New York Times'' Best Seller on its cover. ''The Washington Post'' noted the name change of the book, writing, the 2011 version did not sync with his 2016 new political identity. Lozada felt the book's repackaging with minimal changes to content and significant changes to its exterior was a fitting metaphor "for the campaign of a real-estate developer."


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Portal bar, Books, Business and economics, Literature, United States 2011 non-fiction books American memoirs Biographies about businesspeople Books about companies Books about politics of the United States Books about the Obama administration Books by Donald Trump Books by Meredith McIver 2012 United States presidential election in popular culture Trumpism Books written by presidents of the United States Regnery Publishing books