When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, President Obama observed that Trump “is not an outlier; he is a culmination, a logical conclusion of the rhetoric and tactics of the Republican Party.” In his new book, Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, The Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party, Julian Zelizer pinpoints the moment when our country was set on a path toward an era of bitterly partisan and ruthless politics, ignited by Newt Gingrich and his allies. From the Contract with America to the rise of the Tea Party and the Trump presidential campaign, Gingrich’s fingerprints can be seen throughout some of the most divisive episodes in contemporary American politics.

This event is produced in partnership with New York University's John Brademas Center.

Julian Zelizer, Professor of History and Public Affairs, Princeton University; CNN Political Analyst; author, Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party

Alisyn Camerota. co-host, CNN's New Day