When History Repeats Itself: Dennis A. Brennan’s Bold Examination of Political Witch Hunts
What if the past had more in common with the present than we ever realized? What if the legal and political maelstrom surrounding Donald Trump today mirrors a centuries-old story long buried beneath textbooks and Broadway musicals? Author Dennis A. Brennan doesn’t just ask these questions—he answers them with conviction in his latest work, D.C. Swamp Strikes Back: Aaron Burr, Donald Trump and Their Similar Battles.
This is not just a book. It’s a reckoning.
In a deeply personal interview, Brennan reveals the journey that led him to connect two of America’s most polarizing political figures: Aaron Burr, a founding father turned outcast, and Donald Trump, a modern president mired in controversy.
“The inspiration came from probably two competing forces,” Brennan explains. “One, the trouble that Donald Trump was having—the trials, impeachments, and what I consider harassment. And the other—Aaron Burr. I started reading about him and saw some shocking similarities.”
What began as curiosity evolved into a full-scale investigative endeavor. Brennan immersed himself in history, digging through old books, letters, and testimonies. Burr, long caricatured as the villain in a duel, suddenly emerged as something more complex—a man hounded by political enemies, betrayed by allies, and tried for treason in a legal storm that eerily echoes today’s headlines.
“I think if people really looked at the documentation and read this book, they’d realize what we learned before about Burr wasn’t exactly accurate,” Brennan asserts.
The author doesn’t just draw parallels—he builds a strong case that both men were caught in the crosshairs of what he defines as political witch hunts. For Brennan, a witch hunt isn’t merely a legal pursuit—it’s a coordinated effort by those in power to not only prosecute but to destroy.
“It becomes a witch hunt when it’s not just one charge,” Brennan says, “but multiple attempts to imprison someone and ruin their name.”
It’s this idea that shapes the backbone of D.C. Swamp Strikes Back. Burr was targeted by President Thomas Jefferson himself, who pursued him across states with the singular goal of painting him as a traitor. Similarly, Brennan sees the multiple indictments and investigations against Trump—from New York to Georgia to federal court—as politically charged attempts to erase a controversial leader from the political arena.
“The government doesn’t easily lose,” Brennan notes, “especially when the indictment reads: United States of America vs. You.”
But Brennan’s knowledge doesn’t end at the courtroom doors. He dives headfirst into the media’s role, both then and now. In Burr’s time, newspapers like the Western World were tools of political smear campaigns. Today, Brennan sees echoes of that in 24/7 media cycles, which he believes often tell “half the story” and are driven by political allegiances.
“It’s hard to have an unbiased look at the people you’re reporting on,” he says. “Back then, Burr couldn’t respond quickly. But Trump has X, blogs, podcasts. In today’s world, the media is everyone.”
This immediacy of modern media, Brennan believes, gives Trump a tactical edge Burr never had. Burr chose dignity and silence, trusting the courts to redeem him. Trump fights back on all fronts—courtrooms, cable networks, and social media feeds.
“In a way, Trump is teaching the next generation of politicians how to respond. Burr believed in the system. Trump pushes against it,” Brennan admits.
The book, of course, is not without controversy. Brennan does not hide his support for Trump and acknowledges the deep partisan divide his work is likely to provoke. But what makes D.C. Swamp Strikes Back stand out is that Brennan doesn’t ask readers to side with either man—he asks them to examine the systems that prosecuted them.
To ask, as he puts it, “Are you paranoid if everyone is against you?”
His chapters, rich in historical and legal context, dive into Burr’s alleged plans to create a new empire in the West—plans deciphered by questionable witnesses like General James Wilkinson, whom Brennan reveals was likely on Spain’s payroll. Similarly, he scrutinizes Trump’s legal battles, especially those that manipulate misdemeanors into felonies or rely on “witnesses” who once stood by him.
“In both cases,” he says, “they were trying to fit facts into what the law was.”
Brennan’s command of history is matched by his storytelling. He quotes directly from Burr’s trial transcripts and juxtaposes them with Trump’s own legal moments. He paints Burr not as the villain history has cast, but as a man who once said, “What was treason in me thirty years ago is patriotism now.” And in doing so, he encourages readers to question the narratives they’ve accepted.
When asked how Burr would survive in today’s political climate, Brennan reflects, “He might have been too naive. He believed in the system. Today, you need to battle with words, media, and momentum. Burr might be eaten alive now as he was then.”
Yet this is where Brennan’s book finds its moral compass—not in justifying actions, but in highlighting how power can be abused. It reminds us that in politics, sometimes the crime isn’t what you did, but who you challenged.
D.C. Swamp Strikes Back: Aaron Burr, Donald Trump and Their Similar Battles is more than a comparison of two men. It’s a study of how systems, when weaponized, can ruin reputations, rewrite legacies, and shape history—not through justice, but through power.
Brennan leaves readers with this sobering thought:
“Both men were found not guilty in court—or never charged with the gravest accusations—but their trials were fought in the court of public opinion. And there, the sentence was already passed.
