A Very Stable Genius
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and OLC prohibition on charging a sitting president, 360–61, 375, 376, 377, 382–83, 384
Trump followers on, 410
Trump legal defense team’s rebuttal plans, 361–62, 386
Trump’s exoneration claims, 390, 394, 408, 411
Mukasey, Michael, 149, 150
Mulvaney, Mick
agenda of, 356
chief of staff appointment, 339, 355–56
and government shutdown, 364
and immigration policy, 305, 364, 373–74, 396, 399
and Kelly’s resignation, 332
and Nielsen’s resignation, 400
Trump’s abuse of, 355
Murphy, Mike, 311–12, 364
Muslim travel ban (Jan. 2017), 29–30, 36
Nakamura, David, 371
Napolitano, Andrew, 183, 184
National Security Agency (NSA), 22, 25, 28, 30
Navalny, Alexei, 226
nepotism, 19, 36, 44. See also Kushner/Ivanka White House roles
Netanyahu, Benjamin, 81, 278, 280
Newbold, Tricia, 252
New Yorker, 147
New York Times
on Comey’s firing, 77–78
on Comey’s memo, 65
on Gallagher prosecution, 403
“I Am Part of the Resistance” editorial, 290–91
Rosenstein Twenty-fifth Amendment proposal story, 296, 297
on Trump campaign, 82
Trump interview (July 19, 2017), 127
and Trump Tower meeting, 118, 121–22, 123, 125, 126, 127
Nicholson, John, 136
Nielsen, Kirstjen
and border troop deployments, 371–72
and Dobbs, 306–7
and family separations, 265, 266–69
and immigration policy brainstorming, 308–9
and migrant surge (2019), 371–73, 395–98
protective detail removal, 400–401
and protocol, 156
resignation of, 398–401
Trump’s abuse of, 303–6, 308
White House immigration czar proposal, 373–74
Nixon, Richard M., 417
Nobel Peace Prize, Trump’s fixation on, 260, 287
nomination acceptance speech (Cleveland, 2016), 1
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 6, 132–33, 134, 270–73, 332
North Korea
Bolton’s position on, 263–64
Kim Jong Un summits, 225, 260–63, 366, 370–71
Obama transition meeting on, 14
Pentagon foreign policy briefing on, 134
Russian policy in, 113
and Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize fixation, 287
Trump’s worries about, 152–53
Warmbier’s death, 371
NSA (National Security Agency), 22, 25, 28, 30
Nunes, Devin
and Gallagher prosecution, 402
and House Intelligence Committee investigation, 104
and McCabe’s firing, 222
memo by, 187–90, 194–95, 196–97, 253, 254–55
Rosenberg’s responses to, 253–54
Nuzzi, Olivia, 267
Obama, Barack
and executive privilege, 358
and Flynn, 13, 14
and midterm elections, 312
Nobel Peace Prize of, 287
transition meeting, 14, 152
See also Obama administration
Obama, Michelle, 289
Obama administration
and Afghanistan war, 136
Iran nuclear deal, 135
Putin’s hatred for, 112
Russia sanctions, 21–23, 25
wiretap accusations, 50–51
O’Brien, Tim, 299
obstruction of justice. See Mueller report’s treatment of obstruction of justice; obstruction of justice investigation; Russia investigation obstruction attempts
obstruction of justice investigation, 361–62
Barr’s memo on, 330–31
and Comey’s firing, 149–51
McGahn’s testimony, 303, 408
and Mueller removal attempts, 97–98
and prohibition on charging a sitting president, 249–50
Strzok-Page texts on, 62
and Trump interview possibility, 248, 291–92
Trump legal defense team’s meeting with Mueller team (June 16, 2017), 100–101, 102
Trump’s complaints about, 97, 98
O’Callaghan, Ed
Barr briefing, 374
and Corsi plea agreement, 326
hiring of, 243–44
Mueller report briefing, 376
and Mueller report executive summary request, 391, 393–94
and Mueller report full version release, 406
and Mueller report letter, 391, 392
Mueller report review, 380, 384–85
and Nunes’s cover-up accusations, 254
and obstruction of justice issue, 378, 385, 387
and Rosenstein Twenty-fifth Amendment proposal story, 296
and Sessions’s firing, 313–14
Ohr, Bruce, 283
Olson, Ted, 89
Orr, Gabby, 379
Osborne, Karen, 410
Osorio Chong, Miguel Ángel, 37
Özkan, Ebru, 278–80
Page, Carter, 184, 188, 197, 253
Page, Lisa, 62, 128, 193, 282–83, 362
Pakistan, 162
Panetta, Leon, 204
Papadopoulos, George, 160
paranoia. See Trump’s characteristics, paranoia
Parker, Ashley, 183, 299
Patel, Kashyap, 188–89
Patton, George, 17
Paul, Rand, 185, 323
Pearl Harbor visit, 169–70
Pelosi, Alexandra, 39–42
Pelosi, Nancy
Bannon on, 27
and Biden investigation request, 414
and government spending bill negotiations, 333, 334, 349
and House Democratic investigation plans, 322
and immigration policy, 311
and impeachment possibility, 414
and midterm elections, 312
Trump’s attacks on, 354
Peña Nieto, Enrique, 31, 35, 287–88
Pence, Mike
and Comey’s firing, 63
and Constitution reading documentary, 42
and Dubke appointment, 34
and FBI director interviews, 68
and Flynn-Kislyak call, 26, 31
and government spending bill negotiations, 334
and Helsinki press conference, 276
and immigration policy, 397
intelligence briefing (Jan. 6, 2017), 23
and Pentagon foreign policy briefing, 131, 137
and Sessions resignation demand, 70
as transition chairman, 14
Pentagon. See Defense Department; Pentagon foreign policy briefing
Pentagon foreign policy briefing (July 20, 2017), 129–39
on Afghanistan war, 135–37
attendees, 131
Bannon on, 132–33
goals of, 130–31, 138
graphics in, 132
on Iran nuclear deal, 135
location of, 129–30
on NATO, 132–33, 134
on South Korea, 133–34
Tillerson’s moron comment, 138, 139
on trade policy, 132, 133, 134–35
Trump’s rage, 136–38
Perry, Rick, 143
Peterlin, Margaret, 218
Philbin, Patrick, 357
Phillip, Abby, 316
Politico, 379
Pompeo, Mike
appointment of, 15–16
and Mattis’s resignation, 351
and NATO summit, 272
and North Korea summit, 261
and Syria withdrawal plans, 341
and Tillerson’s firing, 217
on Trump’s impatience at briefings, 132
and Trump’s public exoneration
demands, 52, 53
and Turkish prisoner exchange deal, 279, 280
Porter, Rob
and briefings, 166
domestic abuse accusations, 198–99, 201, 202, 203, 205
and Manafort home raid, 154
resignation of, 200
role of, 198
and Trump’s New Jersey golf club vacation (Aug. 2017), 152
press conferences, 35
Price, Tom, 143
Priebus, Reince
and administration internal conflicts, 15
and briefings, 166
and Comey’s firing, 54, 56, 57–58
and Corallo’s hiring, 85, 86
and Dubke’s appointment, 33–34
and early intelligence briefings on Russian election interference, 23–24
firing of, 145, 146, 147, 149
and first cabinet meeting (June 2017), 95
and Flynn-Kislyak call, 31
and Flynn’s FBI interview, 28
and Kushner/Ivanka White House roles, 93, 146
and McGahn’s resignation plans, 99–100
Mueller investigation interview, 212, 303
and Muslim travel ban, 30
Scaramucci on, 147
and Sessions resignation demands, 71, 140
and Sessions’s recusal, 46, 47, 48
and Sessions’s resignation letter, 76
and transition appointments, 15, 16, 20
Trump’s abuse of, 146
and Trump’s personal contact attempts, 88
and Trump’s public exoneration demands, 52
Wall Street Journal article on, 106
and war room planning, 78
ProPublica, 101–2, 267–68
Purpura, Mike, 357
Putin, Vladimir
and DNC hack, 159
and Flynn, 13
foreign policy, 113
and Magnitsky Act, 126
manipulations of Trump, 228
and Obama administration sanctions, 22–23
reelection of, 225–28
and Salisbury nerve agent attack, 227
state visit invitations, 228–29, 277
Trump-Putin summit (Helsinki, 2018), 273, 274–75
Trump’s congratulatory call to Putin, 226–28, 230–31
Trump’s conversations with, 109, 226–28
Trump’s meeting with (July 7, 2017), 109–11
and World War I commemoration, 319
Qatar, 236
Quarles, James
and cooperation strategy, 149
and Corsi plea agreement, 326
hiring of, 95–96
Mueller report briefing, 375, 376–77
and Mueller report’s treatment of obstruction of justice, 376–77, 378, 383
and Mueller’s distance, 251
and Mueller team meeting (June 16, 2017), 100
on prohibition on charging a sitting president, 250
and Raskins hiring, 245
and Trump interview possibility, 179, 190, 213, 246, 291–93
Rabbitt, Brian, 376, 380, 386, 392, 393–94
racism. See white supremacy/racism
Raffel, Josh, 119
Raskin, Jane
and Corsi plea agreement, 324, 326
hiring of, 244–45
and Mueller report, 361, 382, 387–88, 405
and prohibition on charging a sitting president, 250
and Trump interview possibility, 246, 248, 249, 291, 292, 293
and Trump’s written answers, 323
Raskin, Martin
and Corsi plea agreement, 324
hiring of, 244–45
and Mueller report, 361, 382, 405
and prohibition on charging a sitting president, 250
and Trump interview possibility, 246
and Trump’s written answers, 323
reading, Trump’s difficulty with, 41, 132, 166–67, 328
reelection campaign
and Biden investigation request, 412–14
and Mueller report, 390, 411
official launch, 409–11
Politico on, 379
Reflections on the Revolution in France (Burke), 7–8
Republicans. See House Republican quest for wrongdoing in Russia investigation; specific people
Res, Barbara, 45–46
resistance to Trump administration. See internal resistance
responsibility, unwillingness to take, 41, 42, 185–86, 312, 319
Rhee, Jeannie, 96, 159, 240
Rice, Susan, 282
Richardson, John, 403, 404
Richman, Dan, 65
Rivera, Geraldo, 205
Rogers, Katie, 198
Rogers, Michael, 23, 52, 53
Rood, John C., 342, 343, 344
Roos, Nicolas, 242
Rosenberg, Chuck, 64, 72, 144–45
Rosenstein, Rod
Barr briefing, 374
and Barr’s memo, 330
and Cohen investigation, 241
and Comey’s firing, 55–57, 58, 59–61, 63–64
DEA remarks, 64
death threats, 254, 255
and FBI director interviews, 68
firing possibility, 296–99
and GRU indictment, 273–74
on Kushner foreign contact disclosure investigation, 201
and McCord’s resignation, 62
and Mueller removal attempts, 96–97
Mueller report briefing, 376
and Mueller report executive summary request, 393–94
and Mueller report full version release, 406
and Mueller report letter, 392
and Mueller report preparations, 358
Mueller report review, 380, 384–85
and Mueller’s appointment, 65, 68–69
and Mueller-Trump meeting (May 16, 2017), 67
and Nunes’s memo, 187–89, 196, 197, 253, 254–55
and obstruction of justice, 378, 385
and O’Callaghan’s hiring, 243, 244
and Republican congressional quest for wrongdoing, 253–55, 297–98
and Rosenberg’s memo, 145
and Russian campaign interference indictment, 204
and Saturday Night Massacre plans, 142
at Sessions dinner, 210
and Sessions’s firing, 313
and Sessions’s recusal, 47
and Strzok-Page texts, 128
and Trump interview possibility, 292–93
Trump’s criticisms of, 127, 222–23
Twenty-fifth Amendment proposal story, 296, 297
Rosenzweig, Paul, 214
Ross, Wilbur, 165
Rowley, Keith, 228
Rubio, Marco, 16
Ruddy, Christopher, 17, 51, 95
Russia
Crimea annexation, 111, 113, 259
Flynn’s coziness with, 11, 13
foreign policy, 113
and India, 163
Magnitsky Act, 119, 125–26
McMaster’s denunciation of, 233–34
Oval Office meeting with Russians, 63, 77
Putin’s reelection, 225–26
Putin state visit invitations, 228–29, 277
Salisbury nerve agent attack, 217, 226, 227, 229–30
Trump-Putin meeting (July 7, 2017), 109–11
Trump-Putin summit (Helsinki, 2018), 273, 274–75
See also Flynn-Kislyak call; Putin, Vladimir; Russian election interference
Russia investigation obstruction attempts
and Comey’s firing, 63, 75, 77
and Comey’s meeting with Trump (Feb. 2017), 33, 62, 65, 92, 179
conflict of interest argument, 96, 97–98, 99
“coup” script, 103–4
and diGenova’s hiring, 223–24
Donaldson’s notes on, 407–8
Dowd’s statement, 223
and Gates and Manafort indictments, 161
lack of consequences for, 4, 415–16
Mueller removal attempts, 4, 95, 96–1
00, 148
and Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, 104–5
and Trump’s insecurity, 81
and Trump’s obstruction of justice as subject, 100–101
Trump’s opposition to Sessions’s recusal, 43, 45, 47–48
Trump’s personal intervention requests, 87–88
Trump’s pressure for television attacks, 221–22
and Trump Tower meeting, 120–24, 126–27
and Whitaker’s appointment, 316
See also obstruction of justice investigation
Russian election interference
Bannon’s denials of, 24
and Brennan’s security clearance revocation, 282
Christie on, 32
Coats on, 277
congressional sanctions (Aug. 2018), 176
early intelligence briefings, 23–24
GRU indictment, 273–74
Helsinki press conference, 274–77
House Intelligence Committee investigation, 104, 114–15, 116, 117–18
Kushner back channel story, 84, 85
Mueller investigation indictments, 204–5, 376
Obama administration sanctions, 21–23, 25
Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, 52–53, 73, 91–92, 104–5, 114–15, 116, 117–18
Trump-Putin Helsinki summit, 273–74
Trump-Putin meeting (July 7, 2017) on, 110, 111
Trump’s denial of, 4, 23–24, 63, 111, 176, 274–77, 411
and Trump’s election validity, 21, 103, 104, 193, 205
Trump’s exhortation to Russia on Clinton’s emails, 255–56, 361
See also DNC hack; FBI Russia investigation; Mueller investigation; Trump Tower meeting
Ryan, Paul, 185
Ryan, Steve, 238, 239–40
Salisbury nerve agent attack, 217, 226, 227, 229–30
Salman, Khalid bin, 322
Salman, Mohammed bin (MBS), 207, 322
Sanders, Sarah
and Brennan’s security clearance revocation, 282
and Comey’s firing, 60
and family separations, 266
and FISA tweets, 186
and Helsinki press conference, 275, 276–77
and Mueller report, 388
and North Korea summits, 261–62, 370
and Peña Nieto call, 288
and Porter domestic abuse accusations, 199–200
on Salisbury nerve agent attack, 217
and Syria withdrawal plans, 341–42
on Trump’s congratulatory call to Putin, 230
and Trump Tower meeting, 120
Santa Claus tracking, 353–54
Santucci, John, 387
Sasse, Ben, 231
Saturday Night Live, 33, 155
Saudi Arabia, 78, 207, 322–23
Scaramucci, Anthony, 147–48, 191–92
Scavino, Dan, 20
Schieffer, Bob, 328, 329
Schiff, Adam, 205
Schiller, Keith, 58–59, 150
Schmidt, Michael, 65, 127, 295–96
school shootings, 205
Schumer, Charles, 59, 223, 333, 334, 349
Section 702 program (FISA), 183–86
security clearances