Kelly’s policy, 202, 207–9, 251–52
Kushner’s clearance, 94, 123, 201–2, 207–9, 251–53
revocations of, 282–86
and Trump legal defense team, 224
Sekulow, Jay
and Cipollone, 356
and Cohen investigation, 238–39, 240, 241, 246
and Comey’s testimony, 91
and Corsi plea agreement, 324, 325, 326
and diGenova/Toensing hiring, 235
and document sharing, 150
and Dowd’s resignation, 224
and Dowd’s role, 102
hiring of, 88
and Kushner/Ivanka White House roles, 94
and Mueller report celebration, 388–89
and Mueller report full version release, 405
and Mueller report letter, 387, 388
Mueller report preparations, 361, 382
and Trump interview possibility, 173, 178–79, 190, 213, 246
and Trump’s written answers, 323, 324
and Trump Tower meeting, 122
self-absorption. See Trump’s characteristics, solipsism
Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, 52–53, 73, 91–92, 104–5, 114–15, 116
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 72, 166, 244
Sessions, Jeff
and Comey’s firing, 55, 56, 57
and family separations, 266, 269
and FBI director interviews, 68
firing of, 312–15, 330, 355
firing plans, 295
and immigration policy, 304–5
Kislyak communications, 42, 139
and McCabe’s firing, 222
and McCord’s resignation, 62
and Mueller’s appointment, 69–70
and Mueller-Trump meeting (May 16, 2017), 66, 67
recusal of, 42–43, 44–45, 46–48, 53–54, 107–8, 141
relationship with Trump, 48–49
resignation demands, 70–71, 140–41
resignation letter, 76
Rosenstein dinner, 210
and Rosenstein Twenty-fifth Amendment proposal story, 296
and Saturday Night Massacre plans, 141–42
Trump’s abuse of, 53–54, 70–71, 107–8, 127, 139, 314–15
sexual assault
allegations against Trump, 49–50, 82, 200
and Kavanaugh’s nomination, 299–302
Shanahan, Patrick
and border troop deployments, 364–65
Defense Department tenure, 401–2
as enabler, 355, 373–74, 402
and Mattis’s resignation, 344, 345, 351–52, 355
and Pentagon foreign policy briefing, 131
Shine, Bill, 276
Short, Marc, 185
Sims, Cliff, 103–4
Skripal, Sergei, 230. See also Salisbury nerve agent attack
Sloan, Melanie, 357
Soames, Nicholas, 318
solipsism. See Trump’s characteristics, solipsism
Southern District of New York (SDNY) investigations
Cohen, 238, 240, 241
Cohen’s guilty plea, 366, 367, 368
South Korea, 130, 133–34, 332
Spencer, Richard, 404
Spicer, Sean
and Comey’s firing, 58, 59, 60
on Flynn-Kislyak call, 26
on Flynn’s firing, 32
on Sessions’s recusal, 44
and Trump Tower meeting, 120
and Wall Street Journal article, 106
stabilizers in administration, 3, 35, 155, 156, 158, 209, 408, 414
“stable genius” phrase, 6–7, 273
Starr, Kenneth, 214, 405
State Department
and immigration policy, 304
Obama administration’s Russia sanctions, 21–23, 25
and Syria withdrawal plans, 341
Thompson’s move to, 138–39
Tillerson’s firing, 216–21
See also Tillerson, Rex
State of the Union address (Jan. 30, 2018), 196
Steele, Christopher, 188. See also Steele dossier
Steele dossier
Dowd’s statement on, 223
intelligence briefing on, 23
and Nunes’s memo, 197, 253
Trump leak accusation, 24
Trump’s tweets on, 184, 205, 222, 223
Stepien, Bill, 206
Stokols, Eli, 106
Stoltenberg, Jens, 270, 271, 272
Stone, Roger, 324–25, 369, 374
Strzok, Peter, 62, 128, 193, 282–83, 362
Suffolk County Community College speech (July 28, 2017), 144–45
Sullivan, Brendan, 83
Swan, Jonathan, 337, 338
Sweeney, Kevin, 310–11, 341, 342, 344
Syria
Russian role in, 113, 114, 226, 242, 273
U.S. troops in, 133, 339–40
U.S. withdrawal, 332, 340–44, 353, 354, 415
Talev, Margaret, 141
Tank foreign policy briefing. See Pentagon foreign policy briefing
tariffs. See trade policy
Taylor, Miles, 267
Tea Party, 16, 356
Temer, Michel, 228
Thompson, Andrea, 138–39
Tillerson, Rex
and administration internal conflicts, 215, 220
Africa visit (Mar. 2018), 215–16, 218
and border troop deployments, 36–38
and briefings, 164, 168, 328
CBS comments, 328–29
firing of, 216–21
and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 170–71
and Kushner, 35–36
moron comment, 138, 139
resistance by, 137–38, 177–78, 328–29
on Salisbury nerve agent attack, 217
as stabilizing force, 35, 158, 414
and Thompson, 138–39
and Trump-Putin meeting (July 7, 2017), 110–11
and Trump-Putin relationship, 112–14
and Trump’s ignorance, 170
and U.S.-India relations, 162–63
See also Pentagon foreign policy briefing
Todd, Kate Comerford, 357
Toensing, Victoria, 234
trade policy
and executive power, 43–44
and Pentagon foreign policy briefing, 132, 133, 134–35
steel/aluminum tariffs, 225, 260
Trump’s approach to, 130, 164
transgression, 7
transition appointments, 11–18
Flynn, 11–14
and loyalty focus, 11, 15, 18, 20–21
Mattis, 17–18
Pompeo, 15–17
Sessions, 49–50
Trump’s approach to, 11, 12, 14–15, 17
travel ban (Jan. 2017), 29–30, 36
treason, 275
Trinidad and Tobago, 228
Trudeau, Justin, 259, 260, 318
Trump, Donald J.
Asia trip (Nov. 2017), 163–64, 169–70
Boy Scout Jamboree speech (July 24, 2017), 143–44
draft exemption, 137
fearmongering, 311–12
foreign trip (May 2019), 77–78, 81
New Jersey golf club vacation (Aug. 2017), 152
relationship with Putin, 109–11, 112–14
and sexual assault, 49–50, 82, 200, 301–2
Suffolk County Community College speech (July 28, 2017), 144–45
See also Trump administration
Trump, Donald, Jr. See Trump Tower meeting
Trump, Ivanka
character of, 93
and family separations, 269
and McCain memorial, 289
and McMaster’s firing, 232
Trump’s pity for, 143
and Trump Tower meeting, 116, 119, 121
See also Kushner/Ivanka White House roles
Trump, Melania, 18–19, 153, 336–37, 353, 410
Trump administration
accomplishments of, 3
<
br /> enablers in, 2, 355–56, 365, 373–74, 402, 414
and establishment disruption, 30
first cabinet meeting (June 2017), 95
inexperience in, 2, 4, 12, 18, 44
lack of protocol in, 40, 86, 156
nepotism, 19, 36, 44
stabilizers in, 3, 35, 155, 156, 158, 209, 408, 414
sudden firings in, 3, 48, 57–58, 59, 91, 216–21, 225. See also specific individuals
See also chaos in Trump administration; transition appointments; Trump administration internal conflicts
Trump administration internal conflicts
and Flynn-Kislyak call, 26
and Flynn’s FBI interview, 27–28
and Kelly, 156–57, 321, 332
Kelly-Lewandowski conflict, 205–7
and McGahn, 408
and Muslim travel ban, 30
and Tillerson, 215
and transition appointments, 15
and Trump Tower meeting, 126
Wall Street Journal article on, 106
See also Kushner/Ivanka White House roles
Trump campaign
Access Hollywood tape, 49–50, 200
Bannon’s role, 15
Stormy Daniels payoff, 200–201, 236–37, 238, 239, 368
Flynn’s role, 11, 13
and Kasowitz Benson Torres, 82
Manafort’s firing, 18
McGahn’s role, 43
Mueller investigation document sharing, 173
Priebus’s role, 15
Sessions’s role, 49
See also FBI Russia investigation; Russian election interference
Trump followers
and Afghanistan war, 136
Bannon as conduit to, 15
and government spending bill negotiations, 349–50
and immigration policy, 310
and impeachment possibility, 294–95
and Kavanaugh nomination, 300
McGahn on, 43
and Mueller investigation, 103, 410
priorities of, 2, 3
and reelection campaign launch, 409–11
and Sessions, 49
white supremacy/racism, 2, 3–4
and worldwide troop deployments, 135–36
Trump legal defense team
chaos in, 234–35
and Cipollone’s hiring, 303
Cobb hiring proposal, 88–89
cooperation strategy, 150, 151, 172, 174, 211
Corallo as communications strategist, 85–87
Dowd’s resignation, 224
Dowd’s role, 83–84, 102–3
executive privilege strategy, 91
on Flynn’s joint defense withdrawal, 172
and Gates and Manafort indictments, 161
Giuliani’s hiring, 244–45
Giuliani’s television comments, 362–63
Kasowitz’s hiring, 82–83
leaks about, 101–2
Mueller report celebration, 387–89
and Mueller report full version release, 404–5
Mueller report preparations, 361–62, 381–83, 386
Mueller team meeting (June 16, 2017), 100–101
Mueller team meeting (Apr. 24, 2018), 246–50
Mueller team meeting (Nov. 2018), 325–27
personal attack avoidance promise, 87, 104, 221
Raskins’ hiring, 244–46
search for legal representation, 81, 82–83, 91
timing forecasts by, 102–3, 172–73, 175, 223
and Trump’s claims about Mueller report, 394
Trump’s complaints about, 222, 223, 363
Trump’s hiring for, 223–24
and Trump Tower meeting, 115–16
war room planning, 78, 84–85, 89
Weingarten consultation, 89–91
See also Bowe, Mike; Dowd, John; Kasowitz, Marc
Trump’s characteristics
ABUSE OF SUBORDINATES, 4
Dowd, 192, 223
McMaster, 167
Mulvaney, 355
Nielsen, 303–6, 308
Priebus, 146
Rosenstein, 299
Sessions, 53–54, 70–71, 107–8, 127, 139, 314–15
Tillerson, 328–29
ADDICTION TO MEDIA, 3, 157
and FISA, 183, 184
and government spending bill negotiations, 349–50
and immigration policy, 306–7
leaks about, 31
and Nunes’s memo, 194–95
and Russian campaign interference, 205
ALIGNMENT WITH AUTHORITARIAN LEADERS, 3, 109–10, 112, 262–63, 281, 340–41, 371
AVOIDING PAYMENT, 91
BELIEF THAT HE IS ABOVE THE LAW, 414, 415–16
CHILDISHNESS, 6, 41–42
COHEN’S TESTIMONY ON, 369, 370
COMPETITIVENESS, 151–52
EXCLUSIVE DEPENDENCE ON OWN ABILITY
and interview possibility, 179–80, 190
and nomination acceptance speech, 1
and North Korea, 261
and Putin relationship, 114
and search for legal representation, 91
and staff inexperience, 2, 4
HUNGER FOR PRAISE AND RECOGNITION
and briefings, 132
and Mueller meeting, 67, 68
and Nobel Peace Prize, 260, 287
and world leader interactions, 6, 110, 112
and World War I commemoration, 319–20
IGNORANCE
and attorney general’s role, 46, 47
and border troop deployments, 311
and Constitution reading documentary, 41–42
and FISA, 184, 185
and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 170–71
and impulsivity, 130–31
and interview possibility, 191
Kelly on, 38
leaks about, 31
and McGahn campaign hiring, 43
and Pentagon foreign policy briefing, 130–31
and Pompeo interview, 16
and world leader interactions, 163, 169–70
IMAGE FOCUS
and alignment with authoritarian leaders, 110
and Constitution reading documentary, 40
and Dubke appointment, 35
and Erdogan, 281
and immigration policy, 310–11
and Mattis appointment, 17
and McEntee, 19
and Mueller, 66
and nomination acceptance speech, 1
and Situation Room, 177
and Spicer, 33
and transition appointments, 12, 16, 17
and Trump legal defense team, 85, 234–35
and Trump’s abuse of Nielsen, 304
IMPULSIVITY
and Biden investigation request, 412
and border troop deployments, 36
and Dubke appointment, 34–35
and foreign relations, 5–6, 130–31, 228, 273
and government shutdown, 350–51
and ignorance, 130–31
and inauguration planning, 19
and interview possibility, 192–93, 194
Kelly’s handling of, 38
and North Korea threat, 153
and stabilizing advisers, 414
and Syria withdrawal plans, 415
and Trump Tower meeting statement, 120
and world leader interactions, 228, 287–88
INSECURITY
and briefings, 165
and election validity, 104
and Kelly’s resignation, 321–22
Mueller report on, 383
and search for legal representation, 81
and staff inexperience, 4
and world leader interactions, 228
LOYALTY FOCUS
and Boy Scout Jamboree speech, 144
and Cohen’s testimony, 366
and Dubke appointment, 34
and first cabinet meeting (June 2017), 95
and impact on American democracy, 2–3
and McCain memorial,
289–90
and McMaster, 164
and Mueller investigation interviews, 303
and paranoia, 20
and Sessions’s recusal, 44–45, 47
and Tillerson’s CBS comments, 329
and transition appointments, 11, 15, 18, 20–21
and Trump’s abuse of Nielsen, 305–6
LYING
Cohen on, 369
and Corker, 158–59
and FBI Russia investigation, 53
in Iraq speech, 354
at midterm election rally, 295
Mueller report on, 383
and popular vote, 27
and Sanders, 199
Scaramucci on, 191–92
and stabilizing advisers, 2
PARANOIA, 4
and early 2018 resignations, 209–10
and establishment disruption, 30
and FBI Flynn investigation, 25
and FISA, 186
and House Democrats, 27
and impeachment possibility, 416
and loyalty, 20
Mueller report on, 383
and Mueller’s appointment, 78
and Nunes’s memo, 189
and Obama administration, 51
and Putin meeting, 110
Putin’s manipulation of, 228
and victimization mentality, 416
and White House legal defense, 241–42
RACISM, 4, 369
RAGES
and Comey’s testimony, 52–53, 92
and FBI Russia investigation, 52–53
and immigration policy, 305
and May call, 317
and Mueller’s appointment, 77–78
and Pentagon foreign policy briefing, 136–38
Res on, 45–46
and Sessions’s recusal, 44–45
READING DIFFICULTY, 41, 132, 166–67, 328
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN, 132, 133, 165, 166, 167–68
SOLIPSISM
and administration chaos, 1–2
in Coast Guard Academy speech, 68
Cohen on, 369
and enablers, 414
and insecurity, 4
and Kavanaugh’s nomination, 301
in nomination acceptance speech (Cleveland, 2016), 1
and Syria withdrawal, 415
and transition appointments, 15
TRANSGRESSION, 7
TRANSPARENCY, 4–5, 211
UNWILLINGNESS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, 41, 42, 185–86, 312, 319
Trump’s tweets
on Comey’s firing, 65
and FISA, 184–86
on Flynn’s guilty plea, 175
on Gallagher prosecution, 404
on government shutdown, 353
and Helsinki press conference, 275
on Kelly’s chief of staff appointment, 145, 146
on leaks, 84
on Macron, 321
on Mattis’s resignation, 351–52
on McCabe’s firing, 222
on McGahn’s resignation, 303
on McMaster’s firing, 233
on Mueller investigation, 98, 222–23, 362
on Mueller report, 378–79, 408
on Mueller’s appointment, 77
and Obama administration sanctions, 23
Obama wiretap accusations, 50–51
A Very Stable Genius Page 53
