"An unprecedented, colorful look at how and why politicians lie -- and why Republicans do it more. In this groundbreaking book, Bill Adair, founder of the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking website PolitiFact, reveals how politicians lie and why. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience covering Washington and dozens of candid interviews with politicians, political operatives, and experts in misinformation, Adair reveals the patterns of lying, why Republicans do it more, and the frightening consequences for our democracy from the current epidemic. Compelling and, at times, surprisingly funny, Beyond the Big Lie takes us behind the scenes to show the cynical calculations of political campaigns and elected officials who have accepted lying as a routine weapon in our daily political battles. Through vivid stories of a January 6 invader, a state senator who refused to lie, and a government official who endured a relentless assault from GOP lawmakers, Adair sheds new light on a critical problem. Adair shows how political lying began long before Donald Trump -- and is unlikely to end even after he's gone. He explores how Republicans have tried to change the landscape to allow their lying by intimidating the news media and people in academia. And he concludes by suggesting practical solutions that could actually address the dishonesty at the center of our politics. An award-winning journalist and pioneer in political fact-checking, Adair is uniquely qualified to tell this story. Beyond the Big Lie offers an engaging tale of political liars and a vision of how to make them stop." -- Jacket flap.