Article II powers of president and, 326, 328, 350, 356
authority of, 169, 171
collusion (See Russia, collusion with)
Comey and, 326, 327, 328, 331
conclusion of, 325
corrupt intent as focus of, 346, 350
Deutsche Bank, records subpoenaed from, 326–27
documentation submitted to, 171–73, 198–99
Dowd's recommendation that Trump not testify, 332–33, 351–56
Dowd's resignation and, 356–57
Dowd's strategies for dealing with, 324–33, 343–56
executive privilege and, 351
Flynn and, 169, 170, 173, 198, 327–30
grand jury subpoena of president threatened, 343–45, 348
hindering ability to act as president, Trump's complaints about, 324–25
on Kushner finances, 194
legal representation of Trump in, 167–73
lies and lying, 4, 299, 347, 348, 352, 357
obstruction of justice, 169, 173, 345, 350, 357
perjury traps set by, 348, 350, 357
presidential campaign, alleged meetings with Russians during, 172–73, 197–98
presidential testimony sought by, questions submitted for, 327–33, 343–51
recusal of Sessions, 168, 176, 213, 216
Sessions and, 327
specific matters being investigated, 172–73
Trump and Dowd practicing testimony before, 327–33, 345–46
Trump finances, investigation of, 199–201
Muir, David, 33, 34
Mulvaney, Mick, 290, 292
Murdoch, Rupert, 20
Murkowski, Lisa, 206
Muslim ban, 100
MV-22 Osprey, loss of, 73
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), 135, 142, 155–58, 160, 233, 264, 274
National Economic Council (NEC), 59–60, 112, 141, 143, 189, 278
National Guard troops, as border security, 342
National ICE Council, 283
national security, steel and aluminum imports as threat to, 160, 337
National Security Agency (NSA), 27, 70, 180
National Security Council (NSC)
Afghanistan War, meetings and strategizing on, 117–21, 124–26, 254
foreign policy presentations, lack of organizing principle for, 195–96
Iran nuclear deal and, 130
KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, 265, 305–8
Middle East, Harvey as director for, 108–14
nuclear North Korea, McMaster on Trump and, 280
process for, 228–29, 310
Russian meddling in election and, 28
Syria, chemical attack in, 149–50
Tillerson accused by McMaster of failing to consult with, 211
Trump insulting McMaster in front of, 307
National Security Strategy, 297
National Trade Council, 134, 140
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 76–79, 124, 132, 305, 307, 310
Navarro, Peter, 134–35, 140–41, 142–43, 155, 156, 157, 265, 266, 274, 275, 277–78, 334, 335, 336–37
Nazis and neo-Nazis, 238, 239, 240, 243, 246, 250, 251
NBC, 2, 29–30, 32, 38, 164
NEC (National Economic Council), 59–60, 112, 141, 143, 189, 278
Neller, Robert B., 246
neo-Nazis, 238, 239, 240, 243, 246, 250, 251
Netanyahu, Benjamin, 110
The New Republic, 25
New York Daily News, 20
New York Times
on Afghanistan, 254
on agricultural trade with China, 159
on Comey firing, 164
on Dowd resignation, 356
on immigration, 318
interviews with Trump, 65, 280
on Mueller investigation, 172, 197, 198
on Porter domestic abuse allegations, 336
on presidential campaign, 8–9, 10, 11, 14, 24
on Russian contacts with Trump associates, 83–85, 145
on Russian election interference, 65
Sessions attacked by Trump in, 213
on tax reform, 287
Trump’s views on, 14
on Ukrainian funds paid to Manafort, 21–22
World Economic Forum, on Trump speech at (January 2018), 298–99
New York Times v. Sullivan, 318–19
Nicholson, John, 221–22, 311–12, 313
Nielsen, Kirstjen, 284
9/11 terrorist attacks, 51, 52, 108, 116, 119, 121–22, 127, 128, 177, 254–56, 314
Nixon, Richard, 13, 164, 166, 173, 216, 352, 360
Nobel Prize, 95, 233
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 135, 142, 155–58, 160, 233, 264, 274
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 76–79, 124, 132, 305, 307, 310
North Carolina, presidential election campaign in, 43, 45
North Korea, nuclear proliferation in
assassination/replacement of Kim Jong Un, proposals regarding, 181–84, 282
backchannel diplomacy between U.S. and North Korea, 95–97
Bannon on, 259
Bolton on regime change in North Korea, 87
cyber attacks and, 92, 93, 97–98, 280
KORUS and, xvii–xxii, xxiii, 105–7, 142, 264, 304–8
McCain on, 99–105
missile delivery capabilities, CIA conclusions on, 308
Obama administration concerns about, 91–98, 103, 105, 177, 301
PIE (Peninsula Intelligence Estimate), 183
planning contingent U.S. responses to, 181–85
preemptive military strike, study of effectiveness of, 92–93, 94–95
pressure campaign and deterrence/containment strategies, 279–80
“Rocket Man”/”Little Rocket Man” comments, 280, 281, 282
secretiveness of intelligence community about, 177–81
testing, 178–81
Tillerson on, 179, 180, 229, 282
Trump threatening regime over, 282–83
Trump’s public statements about, 95, 280–81, 282–83, 300–302
Trump’s U.N. General Assembly address (September 2017), 280–81
U.N. Security Council sanctions, 232
U.S., North Korean view of, 96
U.S. citizens imprisoned in North Korea, 96
U.S. travel restrictions and, 180
NSA (National Security Agency), 27, 70, 180
NSC. See National Security Council
nuclear weapons. See also North Korea, nuclear proliferation in
Air Force research and design tests, 308
Hiroshima, 181
Iran, nuclear deal with, 111, 129–33
Iraq, WMD allegations against, 64
nuclear button, Trump’s Tweet about, 300–301
Obama’s fears about, 308
in Pakistan, 94
promise to modernize U.S. capabilities, 65
Russia and, 60–61, 132
Obama, Barack
Afghanistan War under, 116, 117–18, 120, 122, 127, 128, 222, 255, 260, 316
Brennan and, 183
Charlottesville and, 239, 243
Hillary Clinton and, 45–46
on election night, 45–46
Graham on mess left by, 316
immigration under, 185, 207, 318
Iran nuclear deal and, 129, 131
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (2009), 95
North Korea and, 91–98, 103, 105, 177, 301
nuclear weapon fears of, 308
Paris Climate Accord and, 189
presidential election campaign and, 2, 23, 27–28, 44
Russian campaign meddling/collusion and, 60, 61, 62, 64, 68, 80, 81, 83, 330
Syria and, 146, 147, 149, 152, 153
tax reform and, 293
trade/trade deficit/trade agreements and, 139
transgender troops and, 201
in transition pe
riod, 49, 53, 54, 60, 61, 62, 64, 68
wiretapping Trump Tower, accusations of, 103–4
Yemen operation considered by, 72
Obama, Michelle, 64, 68
Obamacare, 101, 206, 234
obstruction of justice, 169, 173, 345, 350, 357
Old Naval Observatory, 82–83
Olympics (Winter, 2018), South Korea, 308
100th day in office, 155
O’Neill, Rob, 243
Operation Desert Storm, 117
OPLAN 5015, 184
OPLAN 5027, 183
oppositional defiance syndrome, 66
Osama bin Laden, 108, 116
Oval Office meetings
on Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, 310
Bossert on trade with China, 339
Cohn disquiet over Charlottesville, 249
Cohn resignation, 338
with Chris Crane, 283
disorder and disruption in, 263–64
on firing of Comey, 162
with Graham, 101
on immigration, 320
on Iran nuclear deal, 131
Kelly in, 265–66, 283, 284
KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, xvii, xx, xxi, 105
on Libya, 230
on NAFTA, 155–58
on North Korea, xvii, xx
on Paris Climate Accord, 191, 193
PDB briefs, 27, 110, 300
privacy in, 265–66
with Sessions, 216
on Syria, between Bannon and Trump, 149
on tariffs, 160, 334
on tax reform, 290
Tillerson belittling Stephen Miller in, 133
Owens, Bill, 73–74
Owens, Carryn, 74–75
Owens, William “Ryan,” 73, 74, 75
Pakistan
Afghanistan War and, 116, 118, 119, 123–27, 312–13, 314
Haqqani Network in, 258
India as counterweight to, 146
nuclear weapons, 94
Trump on, 300
Panetta, Leon, 53
Papadopoulos, George, 348
Paris Climate Accord, 189–94
pass-throughs, 292, 295
PDB (President’s Daily Brief), 27, 110, 300
Pence, Mike
Access Hollywood tape and, 31, 33
on Afghanistan, 122, 123–24
on Charlottesville, 240, 250, 251, 253–54
Flynn lying to, 82, 329
job numbers and, 175
on NAFTA, 155, 156
in presidential campaign, 31, 33, 44
Russian campaign interference/collusion/Mueller investigation, 81
Saudi Arabia and, 114
on tariffs, 277
on tax reform, 295
Peninsula Intelligence Estimate (PIE), 183
Pentagon
on Afghanistan, 117, 119, 257, 312, 313
foreign policy, Bannon’s efforts to coordinate, 196
foreign policy, lunch and Tank meeting on, 218–26
on North Korea, 94, 106, 177–78, 183–84, 280, 302
permanent government institutions, power of, 162
on Russian nuclear capabilities, 60
Saudis and, 113
on Syria, 146, 149, 154
the Tank/Gold Room, 218, 219, 227
transgender troops, 201–3
Perdue, Sonny, 157, 158
perjury traps, in Mueller investigation, 348, 350, 357
Perry, Rick, 112
Petraeus, David, 87
PIE (Peninsula Intelligence Estimate), 183
Podesta, John, 30, 36
political correctness, 242
Politico, 253
polls, in presidential campaign
KEY2ACT meeting, straw poll at, 42–43
Trump’s standing in, 17, 22, 42–43, 45
views on state of country in, 15
polygraphs, 64
Pompeo, Mike, 110, 123, 132, 179, 180, 254, 255, 257–58, 323
populism and populist movement, 2, 4, 5, 13, 25, 237, 298
Porter, Rob
Afghanistan and, 314, 315
on Charlottesville, 240–44, 247, 252
on coordination failure in White House, 261–63, 265, 266, 271
foreign wars strategy and, 229–30
hiring of, 138–39
Kelly and, 261–63, 268–69, 284, 285, 286–87
KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, xix–xxii, 233, 264, 265
McMaster and, 210, 211, 229, 230
on NAFTA, 155–58
on Navarro, 277, 278
North Korea and, 300
on Paris Climate Accord, 190–91, 193
presidential schedule and, 230–31
resignation after domestic abuse allegations, 336
on “Rocket Man” comment, 281
Russian election interference/collusion/Mueller investigation and, 165, 166, 174, 268–69, 270, 271
on Sessions recusal, 176, 216
on tariffs, 159, 160–61, 175, 206, 266–67, 273, 334–36
Tillerson and, 211, 212
on trade/trade agreements/trade deficit, 140, 141–42, 143, 276
Trump’s relationship with, 138–39, 204–5, 271
Porter, Roger, 138
U.S.S Porter, 150
Portman, Rob, 293
Powell, Dina, 150, 210
presidential election campaign. See also polls, in presidential campaign; Russian election interference
acceptance of Republican nomination, 8
Access Hollywood tape, 29–37, 39, 43
Bannon takeover of, 8–16, 19–24
Conway as campaign manager, 16–18, 24–25
debate preparation, 13
debate strategy, 26
debates, 35, 37, 38–40, 41
election night, 45–47
final ten days, 43–45
financing of, 40–42
headquarters of, 19–20
“the hidden Trump voter,” 24–25
Kushner’s role in, 40
meeting between Manafort and Bannon, 20–22
preliminary inquiries about (2010), 1–7
public track record of Trump and, 2–5
rallies during, 9, 11, 17, 31, 33, 35, 43, 45, 100, 213
speech announcing candidacy (2015), 11
strategy for, 25–26, 43–45
Presidential Records Act, 262
President’s Daily Brief (PDB), 27, 110, 300
press. See media
Priebus, Reince
on Afghanistan, 120, 126
Bannon and, 48, 144, 145, 236–37
as chief of staff, 48, 144, 211
on disorder and disruption in White House, 261
firing of Comey and, 162, 163–64, 165
foreign policy, Pentagon lunch and Tank meeting on, 218–26
on Iran nuclear deal, 129–30, 131, 132–33
Kushner and Ivanka Trump, problems with, 144–45, 186, 189–90, 194–95, 217–18, 237
on Mattis, 227–28
McMaster and, 145–46
on NATO, 76, 77, 78
on North Korea, 100, 101, 102–3, 186
on Paris Climate Accord, 189–90, 192
in presidential election campaign, 10–12, 22–23, 25, 31–33, 36, 46
resignation of, 234–37
on Russian election interference, collusion, and Mueller investigation, 80–82, 83–85, 198, 329, 330, 352
on Saudi Arabia, 114
Scaramucci on, 234
Sessions, Trump attack on, 213–14, 216
on Syrian air strike, 144–46, 150
Tillerson and, 211–12, 227–28, 287–88
on trade/trade agreements/trade deficit, 138, 141–42, 143
on transgender troops, 201–2
in transition period, 55, 60, 68
Trump’s opinion of, 204–5
Trump’s relationship with, 235–36, 287–88
Twitter, efforts to control Trump’s use of, 204–6
on White House staff,
236–37
Prince, Erik, 122
Pruitt, Scott, 190–91, 192
pushing back/fighting, Trump’s belief in, 166, 174, 175, 176
Putin, Vladimir, 29, 47, 54, 60–61, 67, 77, 81, 147, 174, 325, 330
al Qaeda, 51, 72–75, 108, 112, 116, 256, 257
Qatar, 114, 210
Quarles, James “Jim,” 171, 199–200, 325, 327, 330, 333, 343, 347, 349
racial divide, Trump presidency viewed as rekindling, 252, 253. See also Charlottesville
Raddatz, Martha, 40, 342
Rajaratnam, Raj, 355
rallies
at Charlottesville, 240, 245 (See also Charlottesville)
in presidential election campaign, 9, 11, 17, 31, 33, 35, 43, 45, 100, 213
during Trump presidency, 134, 271, 355
Trump’s fondness for, 271
White House operations compared to, 231
RAND Corporation, 201
rare earth, 309
Reagan, Ronald, 181, 243, 267, 291, 352
Red Room (White House residence), 76
Renaissance Technologies, 10
Republican National Committee (RNC), 9, 10–11, 23–25, 31, 46–47, 218
Republican National Convention, 60
Republicans. See also individual Republicans by name
Bannon on, 298
on Charlottesville, 239, 248, 253
in Gang of Eight, 29, 62
Graham on bipartisanship, 103
Graham on state of Congressional majority, 101
immigration and, 267
momentum in 2010, 1
New York Times Republican sources on Trump, 8–9
presidential primaries, how to win, 2–6
Priebus and, 234
Sessions defended by, 215–16
tariffs and, 233
tax reform and, 267, 287, 290, 291, 292, 294
on Trump Tweets, 206
Trump winning presidential nomination for, 8, 9, 17
Trump’s relationship to, 17, 22, 24, 25, 26, 33, 41, 103, 298
residences, presidential
Camp David, 146, 254
Mar-a-Lago, 86, 88, 150, 151, 205, 299
White House, 20, 31, 76, 148, 195, 201, 230, 242, 243, 266, 272, 328, 345
Resolute Desk, Oval Office, xvii, xviii, 101, 160, 165, 208, 262, 338
Reuters, 95, 106, 325
Ri Chun-hee, 91–92
Ri Su-yong, 301
Rice, Condoleezza (Condi), 31, 185
Rice, Susan, 122
Richardson, John, 246
RNC (Republican National Committee), 9, 10–11, 23–25, 31, 46–47, 218
“Rocket Man”/“Little Rocket Man,” 280, 281, 282
ROCKSTARS, 182
Roe v. Wade, 25
Rogers, Mike, 62, 180
Romney, Mitt, 17, 42, 239–40, 293
Roosevelt Room meetings, 124, 142, 156, 285
Rose, Pete, 168
Rose Garden (White House), 194
Rosenstein, Rod, 163, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 174, 215, 349, 350
Ross, Wilbur, 140, 141, 143, 155–57, 159–61, 233, 265, 266, 274, 310–11, 334, 336–37