So is it White House or fight house? Bestselling author and presidential historian Tevi Troy answers this question and also chronicles the more combative side of 1600 Pennsylvania in recent years in “Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump.”
The book has just arrived just from Regnery History, a conservative publisher.
“There has been a lot of talk in recent years about White House infighting, so I decided to explore the history to see if White House infighting has been a perennial issue,” Mr. Troy told The Washington Times. “Turns out it has, and I uncovered many fantastic stories about previous generations of aides doing really nasty things to each other in the White House.
“This White House, and all future White Houses, can learn about the three levers I found that will enable presidents to limit White House infighting, if they so desire: ideological comity, rigorous process, and presidential intolerance for infighting,” he said.
The author outlines common-sense remedies to White House infighting as well as the huge role technology now plays in such entanglements. Yes, texts and emails play a role these days.
“The book provides context on the administrations, the players, and their in-fighting, but also show how those fights shaped the administrations in question, the presidents’ historical reputations, and the policy landscape of modern America,” the publisher said in advance notes. “In showing these fights, the book will highlight tough tactics used by sharp-elbowed operatives to prevail in bureaucratic disputes, from leaks to delays in submitting items for review to moving rivals out of cherished office spaces.”
Mr. Troy is currently CEO of the American Health Policy Institute and served as a senior policy adviser in the George W. Bush administration.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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