Is Trump a modern-day Churchill? Author says both men defended Western Civilization

As the legacy of historical figures is disputed nationwide, author Nick Adams makes an unwavering, bold claim: President Donald Trump is unquestionably similar to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 

Adams makes the case in his recent book, "Trump and Churchill: Defenders of Western Civilization."

"My book is a comparison of the two men, the enemies they faced, and their strategy in defeating them," Adams told Just the News in a written interview. "I wrote the book because it is vital for people to understand what is at stake in the 2020 election, and in the world right now. If the domestic enemies within America win, the consequences for the world could be very similar to the threat Churchill faced in the twentieth century. In my book, there are many incredible parallels between the times and the men. The book is essential for the clear understanding of the dangers for America and the world."

For his part, Trump himself is pleased with the comparison, taking to Twitter to express his gratitude: "Congratulations to author Nick Adams on the @simonschuster publication of your new book, “Trump and Churchill, Defenders of Western Civilization”. Certainly a great honor to be compared, in any way, to Winston Churchill. @NickAdamsinUSA"

"As a longtime student of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a supporter of President Trump, I have to confess that until I read Nick’s book it had never occurred to me to join the two as historic phenomenon," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote in the forward to the book. "Yet the minute I looked at the title, with its Defenders of Western Civilization focus, I saw how absolutely appropriate the parallels were."

Yet critics say Adams' analogy is flawed, inaccurate, even offensive. They say Churchill was a genteel scholar, a man of letters, a Nobel-Prize winning historian and articulate writer. By contrast, they say Trump instead is crass, vulgar, common and low-brow. 

"The critics that make those claims are being extremely superficial, perhaps deliberately because the comparison doesn't benefit them, in their analysis," Adams said in response to those claims. "Of course, the two men, on the surface, are profoundly different - there is no doubt about that. One was five foot six and loved to drink; the other is a six-foot-three teetotaler. One napped every afternoon (and every opportunity he got!) in his pajamas; the other barely sleeps. One began his career by opposing tariffs; the other, by introducing them. One a great orator; the other a great tweeter. One a lifelong politician; the other a billionaire-businessman. But if you look a little deeper, you find that the two men are remarkably similar."

Both men came from wealthy, prominent families, albeit Trump's was "new money," compared to Churchill's aristocratic lineage. But both men had been instilled with a tremendous sense of confidence and their own destiny.

"Neither concealed their true self, or conformed to expectations," Adams said. "Both were confident and loved their country. Both intensely disliked, even hated. Clear thinkers and plain speakers. Alpha males. Both stared down their enemies. Both had an acrimonious relationship with the media. Both had very strong fathers, and their life was very much shaped by that relationship. Both endured battles with the political establishment wanting their destruction. Both followed leaders, who were widely regarded as very weak - Chamberlain and Obama. Both had a very unlikely bond with the average, common voter. The comparison is brilliant."

Adams said another early life similarity was striking.

"The most interesting was that both were sent away to military school by their fathers," Adams said.

Both men have been widely known for their insults — though Trump's modern update is he uses Twitter for his delivery method.

"There is a massive similarity in their counter-punching, and the use of the art of the insult — both were masterful in branding critics, opponents and enemies through that art," Adams said. "Both men share an incredible flair for showmanship. That showmanship is an indispensable part of their leadership. There certainly is a degree of populism in both men." 

Both men experienced massive failures in their lives prior to assuming the highest elected offices in their respective lands. Churchill failed miserably during the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I, and Trump experienced multiple business bankruptcies. Adams said that adversity played an "enormous role" in shaping them.

"The thing that struck me while researching and writing this book was that every single thing that had happened to both men in their lives — good, bad, stunningly successful, dreadful failure — made them perfect for the moment they would inherit as they assumed office," Adams said.