I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year

by Carol Leonnig

  I thank my treasured family. To my mother, Dolly Leonnig, for cheering me with her gourmet cooking, flower arrangements, and visits on the porch with her grandchildren. To Ronnie Reno, for loving my mom and always setting the example. To sister Brooke and brother Henry, for the love I feel across the miles. To my late father, Harry Leonnig, for showing me how fun it can be when you love your work. To my extended Reeder clan, I am so glad to call you my family.

  Where would I be without my wonderful friends? Special thanks to my indomitable CCDC crew for being on speed dial for me and my family and enriching our life: Caity and Michael Callison, Michelle and Steve Dolge, Julie and Andy Maner, Lisa Rosenberg and Frank Gorman, Liz Wieser and Phil Inglima, and Kristin and Peter Willsey. I’m deeply grateful for the friendship of Jodi Moraru, Paige Williams, the Hanleys, Resches, Slades, Scalzos, and Teems, and equally indebted to my wonderful pals from the ornament club, book club, cool group, and the Bryn Mawr posse. Thanks to those who have always supported and cheered my work, too many to name, with an atta girl when our paths crossed or a Facebook like on a story I shared. Special mention: Mike Raibman and Mona Benach. I hope to thank all of you soon.

  The Washington Post, the hometown paper where I had always wanted to work, turned out to be a great place for the kind of reporting I loved. It now also holds so many people who feel like family. I thank them for making it a joy to go to work. In addition to the great Post colleagues we mentioned above, thank you to Dan Balz, Bob Barnes, Tammy Haddad, Sari Horwitz, Colby Itkowitz, Greg Jaffe, Tracy Jan, Natalie Jennings, Paul Kane, Michael Kranish, Michelle Lee, Nick Miroff, Dana Priest, Mike Semel, Robert Samuels, Ian Shapira, Julie Tate, Craig Timberg, Karen Tumulty, and Katie Zezima.

  Finally, thank you to the producers and hosts at NBC News and MSNBC, including Savannah Guthrie, Hallie Jackson, Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell, Joy Reid, Stephanie Ruhle, Ali Velshi, Nicolle Wallace, Brian Williams, Alex Witt, as well as Sarah Baker and Jesse Rodriguez. This smart team shines a light day in and day out on the best reporting in the country, and brings that informed conversation to more Americans. I’m honored to join them.

  Notes

  Chapter One: Deadly Distractions

  Redfield had told them: CBS, CBS This Morning, October 2018, John Dickerson.

  American intelligence agencies had learned: Eric Schmitt et al., “For Trump, a Risky Decision on Suleimani Is One Other Presidents Had Avoided,” New York Times, January 3, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/world/middleeast/suleimani-iran-iraq-strike.html.

  The intelligence was, in the assessment: Press Gaggle with Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley, January 6, 2020, www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/2051321/press-gaggle-with-secretary-of-defense-dr-mark-t-esper-and-chairman-of-the-join.

  Trump would later regale: Kevin Liptak, “Trump Recounts Minute-by-Minute Details of Soleimani Strike to Donors at Mar-a-Lago,” CNN, January 18, 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/politics/trump-soleimani-details-mar-a-lago/index.html.

  In early January, U.S. intelligence agencies: Greg Miller and Ellen Nakashima, “President’s Intelligence Briefing Book Repeatedly Cited Virus Threat,” Washington Post, April 27, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/presidents-intelligence-briefing-book-repeatedly-cited-virus-threat/2020/04/27/ca66949a-8885-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html.

  Even the high-level Chinese delegation: David Nakamura, “After Epic Trade Fight, Trump Puts Chinese Leaders’ Patience to the Test in Marathon White House Ceremony,” Washington Post, January 15, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/after-epic-trade-fight-trump-puts-chinese-leaders-patience-to-the-test-in-marathon-white-house-ceremony/2020/01/15/fea4b2c6-37c9-11ea-bf30-ad313e4ec754_story.html.

  Trump passed word to his aides: Maggie Haberman, “Trump Was Not Watching as the Articles Were Read on the Senate Floor,” New York Times, January 16, 2020, www.nytimes.com/live/2020/trump-impeachment-01-16#trump-was-not-watching-as-the-articles-were-read-on-the-senate-floor.

  Chapter Two: Totally Under Control

  The CDC publicly announced: Centers for Disease Control, “First Travel-Related Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Detected in United States,” CDC Newsroom, January 21, 2020, www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0121-novel-coronavirus-travel-case.html.

  The Spanish flu had infected: Centers for Disease Control, “History of 1918 Flu Pandemic,” www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm.

  Later intelligence would confirm: Mai He et al., “Cremation-Based Estimates Suggest Significant Under- and Delayed Reporting of COVID-19 Epidemic Data in Wuhan and China,” www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.28.20116012v2.full.pdf.

  And he declared: Erica Werner et al., “Trump Administration Announces Mandatory Quarantines in Response to Coronavirus,” Washington Post, January 31, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/01/31/trump-weighs-tighter-china-travel-restrictions-response-coronavirus.

  Before the markets closed: Fred Imbert, Yun Li, and Thomas Franck, “Stock Market Updates Friday: Dow Drops 600, Coronavirus Fears Grow, Apple Loses 4%,” CNBC, January 31, 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/01/31/stock-market-live-updates-dow-down-100-amazon-up-10percent-to-1-trillion.html.

  Chapter Three: Seeking Revenge

  Two days later, Trump strode: Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey, “The Surprises at Trump’s State of the Union Were Carefully Planned,” Washington Post, February 5, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-surprises-at-trumps-state-of-the-union-were-carefully-planned/2020/02/05/d4561646-4835-11ea-ab15-b5df3261b710_story.html.

  Trump’s rash and retaliatory dismissal: William H. McRaven, “Opinion: William McRaven: If Good Men Like Joe Maguire Can’t Speak the Truth, We Should Be Deeply Afraid,” Washington Post, February 21, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/william-mcraven-if-good-men-like-joe-maguire-cant-speak-the-truth-we-should-be-deeply-afraid/2020/02/21/2068874c-5503-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html.

  In early February, around the time: “Presidential Approval Ratings—Donald Trump,” Gallup, https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx.

  They said Shea felt pressure: Statement for the Record: Assistant United States Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, House Judiciary Committee, June 24, 2020, www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110836/witnesses/HHRG-116-JU00-Wstate-ZelinskyA-20200624-U7.pdf.

  One of the prosecutors: Statement for the Record: Assistant United States Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, House Judiciary Committee, June 24, 2020.

  In a sign of how little: Timothy Bella, “ ‘Cannot Allow This Miscarriage of Justice!’: Trump Blasts Sentencing Recommendation for Roger Stone,” Washington Post, February 11, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/11/trump-stone-sentencing.

  “I think it’s time to stop”: Attorney General Bill Barr’s Interview with ABC News: Transcript, ABC News, July 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attorney-general-bill-barrs-interview-abc-news-transcript/story?id=71696291.

  He was fuming: Yasmeen Abutaleb, Ashley Parker, and Josh Dawsey, “Inside Trump’s Frantic Attempts to Minimize the Coronavirus Crisis,” Washington Post, February 29, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-trumps-frantic-attempts-to-minimize-the-coronavirus-crisis/2020/02/29/7ebc882a-5b25-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html.

  Chapter Four: The P-Word

  “We’re dealing with”: “Dr. Fauci: Coronavirus Now at ‘Outbreak’ and ‘Likely Pandemic Proportions,’ ” MSNBC, March 2, 2020, www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/dr-fauci-coronavirus-now-at-outbreak-and-likely-pandemic-proportions-79827013761.

  The next day, Trump toured: “President Trump Visits NIH Vaccine Research Center,” National Institutes of Health, NIH Director’s Blog, March 3, 2020, https://directorsblog.nih.gov/potus-lab-visit_3-3-21.

  This was a move to please: Abby Goodnough, “Trump Administration Sharply Curtails Fetal Tissue Medical Research,” New
York Times, June 5, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/us/politics/fetal-tissue-research.html.

  he wanted them to reverse the ban: Amy Goldstein, “Trump Ban on Fetal Tissue Research Blocks Coronavirus Treatment Effort,” Washington Post, March 18, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/trump-ban-on-fetal-tissue-research-blocks-coronavirus-treatment-effort/2020/03/18/ddd9f754-685c-11ea-abef-020f086a3fab_story.html.

  On March 3, she tested: “Placer County Announces Death of Patient with COVID-19,” County of Placer, March 4, 2020, www.placer.ca.gov/6438/Death-of-patient-with-COVID-19.

  He had recently dined: Seung Min Kim and Josh Dawsey, “Trump Picks Mark Meadows to Be New White House Chief of Staff,” Washington Post, March 6, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-picks-mark-meadows-as-new-white-house-chief-of-staff/2020/03/06/c669d3fe-6010-11ea-8baf-519cedb6ccd9_story.html.

  Futures for the Dow Jones: Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, and Josh Dawsey, “Ten Minutes at the Teleprompter: Inside Trump’s Failed Attempt to Calm Coronavirus Fears,” Washington Post, March 12, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-teleprompter-speech/2020/03/12/81bc8a3a-647a-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html.

  “The crowds & lines”: Governor J. B. Pritzker (@GovPritzker), Twitter, March 14, 2020, 10:50 p.m., https://twitter.com/govpritzker/status/1239021033191018497?lang=en.

  “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment”: Jonathan Martin, “Trump to Governors on Ventilators: ‘Try Getting It Yourselves,’ ” New York Times, March 16, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-respirators.html.

  “We have an invisible enemy”: Philip Rucker, “Americans Kept Wondering What the President Wanted Them to Do About Coronavirus. Finally, Trump Offered Some Guidance,” Washington Post, March 16, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/americans-kept-wondering-what-the-president-wanted-them-to-do-about-coronavirus-finally-trump-offered-some-guidance/2020/03/16/e58d8200-6793-11ea-9923-57073adce27c_story.html.

  Chapter Five: Rebelling Against the Experts

  “I say that you are a terrible reporter”: Paul Farhi, “NBC’s Peter Alexander Asked Trump to Reassure Americans About Coronavirus. Trump Berated Him Instead,” Washington Post, March 20, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/nbcs-peter-alexander-asked-trump-to-reassure-americans-about-coronavirus-trump-berated-him-instead/2020/03/20/f7452a80-6ada-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html.

  On March 29, the president announced: Philip Rucker, “Trump Beats a Retreat on Opening the Country as Coronavirus Data, Images Show Dark Reality,” Washington Post, March 29, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-guidelines-easter-elmhurst/2020/03/29/c15c21f2-7215-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html.

  The volunteers worked out: Peter Baker et al., “Kushner Puts Himself in Middle of White House’s Chaotic Coronavirus Response,” New York Times, April 2, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/politics/jared-kushner-coronavirus-trump.html.

  But because of his exalted status: Baker et al., “Kushner Puts Himself in Middle.”

  Unbeknownst to Birx: Philip Rucker et al., “34 Days of Pandemic: Inside Trump’s Desperate Attempts to Reopen America,” Washington Post, May 2, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/34-days-of-pandemic-inside-trumps-desperate-attempts-to-reopen-america/2020/05/02/e99911f4-8b54-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html.

  “Without any basis”: Matt Zapotosky, “Barr Calls Current Restrictions ‘Draconian’ and Suggests They Should Be Revisited Next Month,” Washington Post, April 9, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/attorney-general-william-barr-fox-news-coronavirus/2020/04/09/dfda1f94-7a12-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html.

  “It’s Fauci’s fault”: Robert Costa et al., “Trump’s May Days: A Month of Distractions and Grievances as Nation Marks Bleak Coronavirus Milestone,” Washington Post, May 31, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-may-days-a-month-of-distractions-and-grievances-as-nation-marks-bleak-coronavirus-milestone/2020/05/31/123e7e6a-a120-11ea-81bb-c2f70f01034b_story.html.

  On April 14, he formally: Betsy Klein and Jennifer Hansler, “Trump Halts World Health Organization Funding over Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak,” CNN, April 15, 2020, https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/14/politics/donald-trump-world-health-organization-funding-coronavirus/index.html.

  They also warned: Josh Rogin, “Opinion: State Department Cables Warned of Safety Issues at Wuhan Lab Studying Bat Coronaviruses,” Washington Post, April 14, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses.

  Now they were adding: Rogin, “Opinion: State Department Cables Warned of Safety Issues.”

  “A lot of people are”: David Jackson and Kim Hjelmgaard, “Trump Says US Investigating Whether Coronavirus Spread After China Lab Mishap but Cites No Evidence,” USA Today, April 18, 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/04/18/trump-us-investigating-whether-coronavirus-spread-china-lab/5158551002.

  That was not normal: Charles Schmidt, “Did the Coronavirus Leak from a Lab? These Scientists Say We Shouldn’t Rule It Out,” MIT Technology Review, March 18, 2021, www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/18/1021030/coronavirus-leak-wuhan-lab-scientists-conspiracy.

  Later research would establish: Rafi Letzter, “The Coronavirus Didn’t Really Start at That Wuhan ‘Wet Market,’ ” Live Science, www.livescience.com/covid-19-did-not-start-at-wuhan-wet-market.html.

  But Trump, who famously said: Philip Rucker et al., “ ‘What Do You Have to Lose?’: Inside Trump’s Embrace of a Risky Drug Against Coronavirus,” Washington Post, April 6, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-do-you-have-to-lose-inside-trumps-embrace-of-a-risky-drug-against-coronavirus/2020/04/06/0a744d7e-781f-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html.

  Chapter Six: Refusing to Mask Up

  Shortly after the CNN story: Jeremy Diamond, Jamie Gangel, and Tami Luhby, “White House Officials Are Discussing Plans to Replace HHS Secretary Alex Azar,” CNN, April 26, 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/politics/white-house-health-and-human-services-secretary-alex-azar/index.html.

  After the CDC issued guidance: Centers for Disease Control, “Use Masks to Slow the Spread of COVID-19,” February 16, 2021, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

  “Somehow sitting in the Oval Office”: Daniel Victor, Lew Serviss, and Azi Paybarah, “In His Own Words, Trump on the Coronavirus and Masks,” New York Times, October 2, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-masks.html.

  “Since I don’t have the coronavirus”: Felicia Sonmez, “Pence Meets with Mayo Clinic Patients, Staff While Not Wearing Face Mask,” Washington Post, April 28, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-meets-with-mayo-clinic-patients-staff-while-not-wearing-face-mask/2020/04/28/57c4200c-897e-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html.

  Two days later second lady: Talia Kaplan, “Karen Pence Defends Husband After Backlash for Not Wearing a Mask at Mayo Clinic Visit,” Fox News, April 30, 2020, www.foxnews.com/media/karen-pence-defends-vp-mike-pence-not-wearing-mask.

  Before the trip: Paul Farhi, “Pence’s Staff Threatens Action Against Reporter Who Tweeted About Visit to Clinic Without Surgical Mask,” Washington Post, April 30, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/pence-staff-threatens-action-against-reporter-who-tweeted-about-visit-to-clinic-without-surgical-mask/2020/04/30/27c63056-8b0a-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html.

  In a rare public: Annie Karni, “Pence Visits Ventilator Plant in Indiana, This Time Wearing a Mask,” New York Times, April 30, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/us/politics/coronavirus-pence-mask.html.

  “I didn’t think it was necessary”: John Wagner and Hannah Knowles, “Pence Acknowledges He Should Have Worn a Mask During His Mayo Clinic Visit,” Washington Post, May 4, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-acknowledges-he-should-have-worn-a-mask-during-his-mayo-clinic-visit/2020/05/04/7cbe5c0e-8e03-11ea-a9c0-73b93422d691_story.html.

  “He will
always protect American citizens”: Erik Wemple, “Opinion: Kayleigh McEnany Fails to Reframe Her Famous Coronavirus Gaffe,” Washington Post, May 7, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/07/kayleigh-mcenany-fails-reframe-her-famous-coronavirus-gaffe.

  But subsequent reporting by Dan Diamond: Dan Diamond, “Trump Officials Interfered with CDC Reports on Covid-19,” Politico, September 11, 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809.

  For the germaphobe president: Nicholas Wu, “Trump Kicks Out Chief of Staff for Coughing During an Interview,” USA Today, June 17, 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/06/17/trump-kicks-out-mulvaney-coughing-stephanopoulos-abc-interview/1475364001.

  In fact, Trump continued: David Nakamura, Carol D. Leonnig, and Josh Dawsey, “Trump Flouts Coronavirus Protocols as Security Experts Warn of Need to Protect President from a Lethal Threat,” Washington Post, May 8, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-flouts-coronavirus-protocols-as-security-experts-warn-of-need-to-protect-president-from-a-lethal-threat/2020/05/08/3a6a9cec-9136-11ea-a9c0-73b93422d691_story.html.

  He procured hundreds of thousands: Carol D. Leonnig, Elizabeth Dwoskin, and John Hudson, “As U.S. Discouraged Mask Use for Public, White House Team Raced to Secure Face Coverings from Taiwan for Senior Staff,” Washington Post, April 15, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-us-discouraged-mask-use-for-public-white-house-team-raced-to-secure-face-coverings-from-taiwan-for-senior-staff/2020/04/15/27d815d2-7ac5-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html.

  On May 10, which was Mother’s Day: Glenn Kessler and Salvador Rizzo, “Trump’s Mother’s Day Tweetstorm Accusing Obama of Crimes,” Washington Post, May 12, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/12/trumps-mothers-day-tweet-storm-accusing-obama-crimes.