“Frankly, We Did Win This Election”: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost

by Michael C. Bender

  State of Michigan, Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Executive Order 2020-86: Encouraging the use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 emergency—RESCINDED.”

  “Telehealth Benefits in Medicare are a Lifeline for Patients during Coronavirus Outbreak.” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 9 March 2020.

  @benrileysmith (Ben Riley-Smith). “This is the man at the front of one of the queues for Trump’s rally in Tulsa—Mike Boatman. Says he turned up at 2.30am on Monday (FIVE days ago) to get in line. Is his 10th rally. Mike says he misses the president. 1/” Twitter, 19 June 2020, 9:30 p.m.

  Amber Phillips. “What Is Antifa?” Washington Post, 15 June 2020.

  Ken Bensinger and Kadia Goba. “Trump Called the $10 Million a Loan. His Campaign Called It a Donation. Who Paid It Back, and How?” BuzzFeed News, 21 October 2020.

  @realdonaldtrump (Donald J. Trump). “Almost One Million people request tickets for the Saturday Night Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma!” Twitter, 15 June 2020, 9:28 a.m.

  @parscale (Brad Parscale). “Over 1M ticket requests for the @realDonaldTrump #MAGA Rally in Tulsa on Saturday. Before entering each guest will get: Temperature check—Hand sanitizer—Mask There will be precautions for the heat and bottled water as well.” Twitter, 15 June 2020, 10:55 a.m.

  David Smith. “Trump Tower Meeting with Russians ‘Treasonous’, Bannon Says in Explosive Book.” The Guardian, 3 January 2018.

  Sarah Blaskey and Jay Weaver. “He’s a Chinese Billionaire and a Member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Is He Also a Communist Spy?” Miami Herald, 23 July 2019.

  “Lady May Yacht for Sale.” Boat International.

  Michael C. Bender and Beth Reinhard. “‘Pollstress’ Conway Brings Trump Campaign Experience with Conservative Edge.” Wall Street Journal, 18 August 2016.

  Scott Horsley. “3 Months of Hell: U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% in Worst GDP Report Ever.” NPR, 30 July 2020.

  Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey. “Trump Frustrated with Campaign Manager Parscale amid Falling Polls.” Washington Post, 12 July 2020.

  Liz Essley White. “Exclusive: White House Document Shows 18 States in Coronavirus ‘Red Zone.’” Center for Public Integrity, 16 July 2020.

  @THEHermanCain (The Cain Gang). “We are sorry to announce that Herman Cain has tested positive for COVID-19, and is currently receiving treatment in an Atlanta-area hospital. Please keep him, and all who are battling this virus, in your prayers. Our full statement appears below. Updates to follow.” Twitter, 2 July 2020, 1:00 p.m.

  Chapter 12. Stepien’s Shot

  Tom Wilk. “Awash in Washingtons.” New Jersey Monthly, 17 January 2011.

  “About Minebrook.” Minebrook Golf Club.

  Linda Voorhis. “Bloomingdale Picks GOP for Mayor, 2 Council Seats.” The Record, 3 November 1993.

  Diane Cardwell. “Robert D. Franks, G.O.P. Leader in New Jersey, Is Dead at 58.” New York Times, 10 April 2010.

  David Kocieniewski and Laura Mansnerus. “McGreevey Savors Party’s Gains as G.O.P. Reviews Losses.” New York Times, 6 November 2003.

  Andrew Rice. “Most Likely to Destroy a Governor.” New York Magazine, 18 September 2016.

  “Michael DuHaime—Partner.” Mercury LLC.

  John Holl. “A New Owner for a Hot Political Site.” New York Times, 11 March 2011.

  Ted Sherman. “A Look Back at the Bridgegate Scandal, as Sentencing Approaches…” NJ.com, 28 March 2017.

  Amanda Terkel and Sam Stein. “Days of Chaos in Fort Lee during Chris Christie Administration’s Traffic Experiment.” HuffPost, 10 January 2014.

  Ted Mann. “Port Chief Fumed over Bridge Jam.” Wall Street Journal, 1 October 2013.

  Shawn Boburg. “For Trump Son-in-Law and Confidant Jared Kushner, a Long History of Fierce Loyalty.” Washington Post, 27 November 2016.

  “Full transcript: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s January 9 News Conference on George Washington Bridge Scandal.” Washington Post, 9 January 2014.

  Andrea Bernstein. “Here’s the Unofficial List of Bridgegate Co-conspirators.” WNYC, 30 September 2016.

  Nick Rummel. “List of Unindicted Co-conspirators in ‘Bridgegate’ Kept under Seal.” Courthouse News Service, 17 May 2016.

  “New Jersey: Public Reacts to Bridgegate Charges” [press release]. Monmouth University, 4 May 2015.

  Shelly Banjo, Jordan Fabian, and Nick Wadhams. “Trump Says He’s Considering a Ban on TikTok in the U.S.” Bloomberg, 7 July 2020.

  Ashley Parker and William Wan. “Trump Keeps Boasting about Passing a Cognitive Test—but It Doesn’t Mean What He Thinks It Does.” Washington Post, 22 July 2020.

  Matea Gold. “What Is Left Hand Enterprises and Why Did the Trump Campaign Pay It $730,000?” Washington Post, 23 June 2016.

  Julie Bykowicz. “Trump’s Campaign Machine Has Two-Year Head Start.” Wall Street Journal, 14 April 2019.

  Jonathan Lemire. “Trump Wears Mask in Public for First Time during Pandemic.” Associated Press, 11 July 2020.

  “Rudy Giuliani Campaign Announces Health Care Advisors.” PNHP.org, 30 July 2007.

  Mike Spies, Jake Pearson, and Derek Willis. “Republican National Committee Obscured How Much It Pays Its Chief of Staff.” ProPublica, 21 February 2020.

  “General Election: Trump vs. Biden.” RealClearPolitics.

  “Donald Trump Coronavirus Press Conference Transcript July 23: Talks GOP Convention, School Reopening.” Rev, 23 July 2020.

  Chapter 13. The Trump TV Convention

  @realDonaldTrump (Donald J. Trump). “Great Ratings & Reviews Last Night. Thank you!” Twitter, 28 August 2020, 9:56 a.m. Trump Twitter Archive.

  Brian Stelter. “Biden Hits Trump Where It Hurts: In the Convention Speech Ratings.” CNN, 29 August 2020.

  @NewDay (CNN New Day). “Former WH aide @Cliff_Sims responds after President Trump tweets about him while being interviewed on @NewDay: ‘Don’t matter to me what Donald Trump or anyone else says that I am.’ https://cnn.it/2FUEcTT.” Twitter, 29 January 2019, 9:00 a.m.

  @realDonaldTrump (Donald J. Trump). “A low level staffer that I hardly knew named Cliff Sims wrote yet another boring book based on made up stories and fiction. He pretended to be an insider when in fact he was nothing more than a gofer. He signed a non-disclosure agreement. He is a mess!” Twitter, 29 January 2019, 8:45 a.m. Trump Twitter Archive.

  Chapter 14. Hell Week and a Half

  “What Are the Dimensions of the Oval Office?” White House Historical Association.

  “Slavery and the White House.” White House Historical Association.

  Christopher H. Sterling. “‘The Fireside Chats’—President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1944).” Library of Congress.

  “Diplomatic Reception Room.” White House Museum.

  “Fact Check: Hunter Biden’s Military Discharge Was Administrative, Not Dishonorable.” Reuters, 1 October 2020.

  Ian Schwartz. “CNN’s Dana Bash: Debate Was a ‘Shitshow.’” RealClearPolitics, 29 September 2020.

  Erik Wemple. “The Life of Campaign 2016’s Substitute Debate Moderator.” Washington Post, 19 October 2016.

  Michael C. Bender. “Here’s Who Traveled with Trump on Air Force One This Week.” Wall Street Journal, 2 October 2020.

  NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey, early October 2020.

  Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Ballhaus. “Trump Didn’t Disclose First Positive Covid-19 Test while Awaiting a Second Test on Thursday.” Wall Street Journal, 4 October 2020.

  “Donald Trump Duluth, Minnesota Campaign Rally Transcript September 30: Night after First Debate.” Rev, 30 September 2020.

  @JenniferJJacobs (Jennifer Jacobs). “NEWS: Hope Hicks, who traveled with Trump aboard Air Force One to and from the presidential debate on Tuesday, and to his Minnesota rally yesterday, has coronavirus, sources tell me.” Twitter, 1 October 2020, 8:09 p.m.

  Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman. “Trump Makes First Public Appearance since Leaving Walter Reed.” New York Times, 10 October 2020.

  �
�Donald Trump Video Speech Transcript after Release from Walter Reed Hospital October 5.” Rev, 5 October 2020.

  NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey, mid-October 2020.

  Nick Niedzwiadek. “The 35 People Who Have Tested Positive in the Trump Covid Outbreak.” Politico, 2 October 2020.

  Janet Hook. “Donald Trump Least Popular New President in at Least a Generation, Poll Finds.” Wall Street Journal, 17 January 2017.

  NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey, January 2018.

  NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey, September 2020.

  Chapter 15. Where’s Hunter?

  “Betting Odds—2020 U.S. President.” RealClearPolitics.

  @atrupar (Aaron Rupar). “‘If you fuck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before.’—the President of the United States.” Twitter, 9 October 2020, 2:05 p.m.

  @AmerIndependent (The American Independent). “Trump: ‘The first time I ever heard of Black Lives Matter, I said, ‘that’s such a terrible term,’ because it’s such a racist term. It’s a term that sows division between blacks and whites and everybody else.’” Twitter, 9 October 2020, 2:40 p.m.

  Michael C. Bender and Joshua Jamerson. “Trump Plans In-Person White House Event, Rally in Florida.” Wall Street Journal, 9 October 2020.

  “Lindsey Graham Refuses to Take COVID Test for Senate Debate in SC.” Axios, 10 October 2020.

  “Fauci: We Had a Superspreader Event at the White House.” Axios, 9 October 2020.

  Tony Bobulinski, Letter to CEFC China Energy Company Ltd., 1 August 2017, p. 15.

  Dennis Haugh. “About.” Personal website.

  “Trump Calls Giuliani ‘Greatest Crime Fighter in Last 50 Years.’” ABC, 16 December 2020.

  Rebecca Ballhaus. “Rudy Giuliani Hires Robert Costello to Represent Him.” Wall Street Journal, 6 November 2019.

  “Donald Trump Campaign Rally Sanford, Florida Transcript October 12: First Rally since Diagnosis.” Rev, 12 October 2020.

  “Donald Trump Rally Des Moines, Iowa Transcript October 14.” Rev, 14 October 2020.

  Michael M. Grynbaum. “As Trump Flouts Safety Protocols, News Outlets Balk at Close Coverage.” New York Times, 12 October 2020.

  Seema Mehta and Arit John. “The Beach Boys, Tony Lido Isle, $150,000 Tickets: A Peek inside Trump’s Orange County Fundraiser.” Lost Angeles Times, 18 October 2020.

  Chris Willman. “Brian Wilson Disavows Trump’s Beach Boys Benefit in California (Exclusive).” Variety, 18 October 2020.

  Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Charles Grassley, Letters to Tony Bobulinski, James Gilliar, James Biden, Benjamin Klubes, Preston Burton, George Mesires, and Rob Walker, via email, 21 October 2020.

  “Johnson, Grassley Will Interview Former Hunter Biden Business Associate, Request Documents from Other Individuals, Including James and Hunter Biden.” Majority Media, U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 22 October 2020.

  “The Second Presidential Debate.” New York Times, 7 October 2008.

  Joel Achenbach and Jacqueline Dupree. “U.S. Tops 60,000 Daily Coronavirus Infections for First Time since Early August.” Washington Post, 15 October 2020.

  “Donald Trump & Joe Biden Final Presidential Debate Transcript 2020.” Rev, 22 October 2020.

  Mike McIntire, Russ Buettner, and Susanne Craig. “Trump Records Shed New Light on Chinese Business Pursuits.” New York Times, 20 October 2020.

  “Biden to Trump: ‘I Have Not Taken a Penny from Any Foreign Source Ever in My Life.’” Axios, 23 October 2020.

  Chapter 16. Final Stretch

  “A Brief History of the Delaware Canal.” Friends of the Delaware Canal.

  “Randal James Thom Obituary.” Tribune Archive.

  “2020 General Election.” Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Updated 23 November 2020.

  Chapter 17. Election Day

  “Doral, Florida—Fayetteville, North Carolina—Avoca, Pennsylvania—Traverse City, Michigan—Kenosha, Wisconsin—Grand Rapids, Michigan—Washington, District of Columbia.” Google Maps.

  Kimberly Truong. “The Mystery of Trump’s Bizarrely Long Ties Has Finally Been Solved.” The Cut, 16 January 2019.

  “State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2020).” Ballotpedia.

  “‘Non-Scalable’ Fence Erected around White House in Anticipation of Election Protests.” South China Morning Post, 3 November 2020.

  “Gucci Printed Silk-Twill Mini Dress.” Net-a-Porter.

  John Binder. “Fashion Notes: First Lady Melania Trump Votes in Gucci, Hermès Glamor.” Breitbart, 3 November 2020.

  “D.C. Mayor’s Letter to the White House.” Washington Post, 7 October 2020.

  Julie Zauzmer. “D.C. Says 190,000 Have Activated New Coronavirus Contact-Tracing Tool.” Washington Post, 26 October 2020.

  DC Mayor’s Office. “Mayor Bowser Provides Coronavirus Update, 10/26/20.” YouTube, 26 October 2020.

  “8-Ball Corner Pocket, Mr. President.” White House Museum.

  Jeff Zeleny and Kevin Liptak. “White House Portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Moved from Prominent Space to Rarely Used Room.” CNN, 17 July 2020.

  @JHoganGidley (J. Hogan Gidley). “Hey, anyone know if Joe Biden has called a ‘lid’ yet?” Twitter, 3 November 2020, 7:42 a.m.

  Christopher Cadelago. “Trump’s Election-Night Claims Color Final Campaign Stretch.” Politico, 2 November 2020.

  Fox and Friends. Fox News Channel, 3 November 2020.

  Anna Hirtenstein and Paul Vigna. “Dow Logs Biggest One-Day Gain since July.” Wall Street Journal, 3 November 2020.

  Todd Spangler. “Here’s How Biden Beat Trump in Michigan—and It Wasn’t Corruption.” Detroit Free Press, 6 November 2020.

  Nathan Denzin. “How a Handful of Counties Turned Out En Masse, Winning Wisconsin for Joe Biden.” Daily Cardinal, 6 November 2020.

  Chapter 18. Acquittal, Part Two: The Insurrection

  Amy Gardner, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Emma Brown. “Top Republicans Back Trump’s Effort to Challenge Election Results.” Washington Post, November 9, 2020.

  Makini Brice and Tom Hals. “Trump Campaign Challenges Election Results in Wisconsin Supreme Court.” Reuters, 1 December 2020.

  Kate Brumback. “Georgia Again Certifies Election Results Showing Biden Won.” Associated Press, 7 December 2020.

  @FSPhiladelphia (Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center). “To clarify, President Trump’s press conference will NOT be held at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. It will be held at Four Seasons Total Landscaping—no relation with the hotel.” Twitter, 7 November 2020, 10:45 a.m.

  @DonaldJTrumpJr (Donald Trump Jr.). “The best thing for America’s future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long. It’s time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!” Twitter, 5 November 2020, 5:08 p.m.

  Katie Benner. “Trump and Justice Dept. Lawyer Said to Have Plotted to Oust Acting Attorney General.” New York Times, 22 January 2021.

  Tom Jackman, Paul Duggan, Ann E. Marimow, and Spencer S. Hsu. “Proud Boys Sparked Clashes during Pro-Trump Rally, D.C. Officials Say.” Washington Post, 14 December 2020.

  Joe Heim and Marissa J. Lang. “For D.C. Protests, Proud Boys Settle in at City’s Oldest Hotel and Its Bar.” Washington Post, 28 December 2020.

  @Mike_Pence (Mike Pence). Twitter, 6 January 2021, 1:02 p.m.

  Maki Becker. “Rochester Man Charged with Using Police Shield to Break Capitol Window.” Buffalo News, 15 January 2021.

  Ashley Parker, Carol D. Leonnig, Paul Kane, and Emma Brown. “How the Rioters Who Stormed the Capitol Came Dangerously Close to Pence.” Washington Post, 15 January 2021.

  Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, and Josh Dawsey. “After Inciting Mob Attack, Trump Retreats in Rage. Then, Grudgingly, He Admits His Loss.” Washington Post, 7 January 2021.
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br />   Epilogue

  Jo Werne. “Mar-a-Lago; a Decorator’s Dream: Refurbishing 58 Bedrooms under One Roof.” Houston Chronicle, 9 March 1986.

  About the Author

  Michael C. Bender is the senior White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal whose coverage of President Trump has been recognized for its deep sourcing, balance, and valuable behind-the-scenes portraits of Trump’s administration and presidential campaigns. Bender was awarded the Gerald R. Ford Foundation Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2019 for work that “set a consistently high standard of reporting” and “provided a valuable chronicle of the president, his team, and the movement that has reshaped American politics and national policy.” In 2020, he received the National Press Club award for political analysis for a series of stories that detailed the sights, sounds, and inner workings of Trump campaign rallies. Since 2000, Bender has covered local, state, and national politics for the (Grand Junction, Colorado) Daily Sentinel, Dayton Daily News, Palm Beach Post, Tampa Bay Times, and Bloomberg News. He joined the Journal in 2016 and published more than 1,100 stories about Trump in the next five years. He has also served as an on-air political analyst for CNN. Born and raised in Cleveland with his six younger sisters, Bender graduated from the Ohio State University in 2000 with a degree in history and now lives in Washington with his wife, Washington Post White House bureau chief Ashley Parker, and two daughters.