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

Page 59

by Carol Leonnig


  On May 20, the U.S. government: Aakash B, Guy Faulconbridge, and Kate Holton, “U.S. Secures 300 Million Doses of Potential AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine,” Reuters, May 21, 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca/u-s-secures-300-million-doses-of-potential-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-idUSKBN22X0J9.

  Chapter Seven: Bunkers, Blasts, and Bibles

  A white officer: Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Kim Barker, “New Transcripts Detail Last Moments for George Floyd,” New York Times, July 8, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/us/george-floyd-body-camera-transcripts.html.

  “There is no gray”: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Speech Transcript After Minnesota Police Officer Kills Man,” Rev, May 26, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/minneapolis-mayor-jacob-frey-speech-transcript-after-minnesota-police-officer-kills-man.

  He had wanted to know: Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett, “Justice Dept. Will Not Charge Police in Connection with Eric Garner’s Death,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-will-not-charge-police-in-connection-with-eric-garners-death/2019/07/16/f5188d84-a761-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html.

  “It was so fast”: “Floyd’s Brother: Trump ‘Didn’t Give Me the Opportunity to Even Speak,’ ” MSNBC, May 30, 2020, www.msnbc.com/politicsnation/watch/george-floyd-s-brother-says-trump-didn-t-give-him-the-opportunity-to-even-speak-in-conversation-84136517515.

  Instead Trump focused: Peter Baker, “Trump Tweets and Golfs, but Makes No Mention of Virus’s Toll,” New York Times, May 24, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-death-toll.html.

  “There’s maybe a fundamental problem”: Ashley Parker, “For a Numbers-Obsessed Trump, There’s One He Has Tried to Ignore: 100,000 Dead,” Washington Post, May 28, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-a-numbers-obsessed-trump-theres-one-he-has-tried-to-ignore-100000-dead/2020/05/27/0a9c58ee-9f63-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html.

  Between May 27 and May 29: Keith L. Alexander and Meryl Kornfield, “Among More Than 400 Arrested During Protests in the District, Most Cases Involve Curfew Violations and Burglary,” Washington Post, June 16, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/among-more-than-400-arrested-during-protests-in-the-district-most-cases-involve-curfew-violations-and-burglary/2020/06/14/ef7e2e82-ac93-11ea-94d2-d7bc43b26bf9_story.html.

  Additional demonstrators had scaled: Clarence Williams, Perry Stein, and Peter Hermann, “Demonstrations for George Floyd Lead to Clashes Outside White House,” Washington Post, May 30, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/demonstration-for-george-floyd-shuts-down-dc-intersection/2020/05/29/af7b5d40-a1f9-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html.

  Trump also claimed: Maggie Haberman, “Trump Threatens White House Protesters with ‘Vicious Dogs’ and ‘Ominous Weapons,’ ” New York Times, May 30, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/05/30/us/politics/trump-threatens-protesters-dogs-weapons.html.

  Indeed some in the public arena: Philip Rucker, “As Cities Burned, Trump Stayed Silent—Other Than Tweeting Fuel on the Fire,” Washington Post, May 31, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-cities-burned-trump-stayed-silent--other-than-tweeting-fuel-on-the-fire/2020/05/31/4fc8761a-a354-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html.

  That weekend, Tom Rath: Rucker, “As Cities Burned, Trump Stayed Silent.”

  Trump had been mulling a plan: Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Rebecca Tan, “Inside the Push to Tear-Gas Protesters Ahead of a Trump Photo Op,” Washington Post, June 1, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-push-to-tear-gas-protesters-ahead-of-a-trump-photo-op/2020/06/01/4b0f7b50-a46c-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html.

  “You have to dominate”: “Transcript of Trump’s Call with Governors: ‘Dominate . . . or You’ll Look Like a Bunch of Jerks,’ ” San Jose Mercury News, June 2, 2020, www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/02/transcript-of-trumps-call-with-governors-dominate-or-youll-look-like-a-bunch-of-jerks.

  D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham : Aaron C. Davis et al., “Officials Familiar with Lafayette Square Confrontation Challenge Trump Administration Claim of What Drove Aggressive Expulsion of Protesters,” Washington Post, June 14, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/officials-challenge-trump-administration-claim-of-what-drove-aggressive-expulsion-of-lafayette-square-protesters/2020/06/14/f2177e1e-acd4-11ea-a9d9-a81c1a491c52_story.html.

  Both Newsham and DeMarco: Tony Jackman and Carol D. Leonnig, “National Guard Officer Says Police Suddenly Moved on Lafayette Square Protesters, Used ‘Excessive Force’ Before Trump Visit,” Washington Post, July 27, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/27/national-guard-commander-says-police-suddenly-moved-lafayette-square-protesters-used-excessive-force-clear-path-trump.

  But the part of his account: Jackman and Leonnig, “National Guard Officer Says Police Suddenly Moved on Lafayette Square Protesters.”

  Chapter Eight: Staring Down the Dragon

  That night, Esper instructed: “Message to the Department—Support to Civil Authorities,” U.S. Department of Defense, June 3, 2020, www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2206224/message-to-the-department-support-to-civil-authorities.

  Esper noted that: “Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Press Conference Transcript: Does Not Support Military Response to Protests,” Rev, June 3, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/secretary-of-defense-mark-esper-press-conference-transcript-does-not-support-military-response-to-protests.

  The FDA announced: Food and Drug Administration, “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization for Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine,” June 15, 2020, www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-revokes-emergency-use-authorization-chloroquine-and.

  “Whatever Trump’s goal”: Mike Mullen, “I Cannot Remain Silent,” Atlantic, June 2, 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-cities-are-not-battlespaces/612553.

  “Donald Trump is the first president”: Jeffrey Goldberg, “James Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution,” Atlantic, June 3, 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/james-mattis-denounces-trump-protests-militarization/612640.

  The nonpartisan military: Carol D. Leonnig and Dan Lamothe, “How Mattis Reached His Breaking Point—and Decided to Speak Out Against Trump,” Washington Post, June 5, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-mattis-reached-his-breaking-point--and-decided-to-speak-out-against-trump/2020/06/05/6aafd548-a69e-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html.

  “We are still struggling with racism”: Mark Milley, National Defense University 2020 Class Graduation Address, June 11, 2020, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/markmilleynationaldefenseuniversitygraduationremarks.htm.

  “I should not have been there”: Dan Lamothe, “Pentagon’s Top General Apologizes for Appearing Alongside Trump in Lafayette Square,” Washington Post, June 11, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/06/11/pentagons-top-general-apologizes-appearing-alongside-trump-lafayette-square.

  Chapter Nine: A Sea of Empty Seats

  Trump had significant business: Eric Lipton and Benjamin Weiser, “Turkish Bank Case Showed Erdogan’s Influence with Trump,” New York Times, October 29, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/us/politics/trump-erdogan-halkbank.html?smid=tw-share.

  On June 18, as Barr’s office: Shayna Jacobs, “Before His Ouster, U.S. Attorney Refused to Join Justice Dept. Rebuke of New York Mayor,” Washington Post, June 22, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/before-his-ouster-us-attorney-refused-to-join-justice-dept-rebuke-of-new-york-mayor/2020/06/22/46b485f0-b4c5-11ea-a8da-693df3d7674a_story.html.

  He urged Berman: Opening Statement of Geoffrey S. Berman Before the House Judiciary Committee, July 9, 2020, https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/opening_statement_geoffrey_s.__berman.pdf?utm_campaign=4107-519.

  “I cherish every day”: Devlin Barrett, “Trump Administration in Standoff with Manhattan U.S. Attorney Who Investigated the
President’s Associates,” Washington Post, June 19, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-administration-replaces-manhattan-us-attorney/2020/06/19/acae9348-b298-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html.

  “Your statement also wrongly”: Rosalind S. Helderman et al., “Trump Ousts Manhattan U.S. Attorney Who Investigated President’s Associates,” Washington Post, June 20, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/geoffrey-berman-us-attorney-william-barr-trump/2020/06/20/fcbfa3b4-b30f-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html.

  “It’s the perfect storm”: Noah Weiland, “Tulsa Officials Plead for Trump to Cancel Rally as Virus Spikes in Oklahoma,” New York Times, June 16, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-rally.html.

  Trump opponents warned: Joshua Partlow, “Threats and Invective Hurled at Health Director Who Sought to Postpone Trump’s Tulsa Rally, Emails Show,” Washington Post, September 21, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/threats-and-invective-hurled-at-local-health-director-who-sought-to-postpone-president-trumps-rally-in-tulsa-emails-show/2020/09/21/b383d5ae-f756-11ea-a510-f57d8ce76e11_story.html.

  A leased plane flew: Jonathan Swan and Margaret Talev, “Exclusive: Trump Plots Virus-Era, Made-for-TV Mass Festival,” Axios, June 18, 2020, www.axios.com/trump-tulsa-rally-mass-crowds-convention-test-f2fd68a6-6427-4908-ae84-6f25ac0ccd1f.html.

  As Tony Dokoupil asked: “Oklahoma GOP Senator James Lankford on President Trump’s Upcoming Tulsa Rally,” CBS News, June 19, 2020, www.cbsnews.com/video/oklahoma-gop-senator-james-lankford-on-president-trumps-upcoming-tulsa-rally/#x.

  Had any of them discussed: Josh Dawsey and Carol D. Leonnig, “In Wake of Trump’s Tulsa Rally, His Campaign Is Still Contending with the Fallout,” Washington Post, July 1, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-wake-of-trumps-tulsa-rally-his-campaign-is-still-contending-with-the-fallout/2020/07/01/ee8e6530-b9b5-11ea-bdaf-a129f921026f_story.html.

  Campaign staff also told: Joshua Partlow and Josh Dawsey, “Workers Removed Thousands of Social Distancing Stickers Before Trump’s Tulsa Rally, According to Video and a Person Familiar with the Set-Up,” Washington Post, June 27, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/workers-removed-thousands-of-social-distancing-stickers-before-trumps-tulsa-rally-according-to-video-and-a-person-familiar-with-the-set-up/2020/06/27/f429c3be-b801-11ea-9b0f-c797548c1154_story.html.

  Even that was an overstatement: Giovanni Russonello, “Trump’s Tulsa Rally Attendance: 6,200, Fire Dept. Says,” New York Times, June 22, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/us/politics/trump-rally-coronavirus.html.

  And, referring to the debate: Philip Rucker and Robert Costa, “Trump Rallies in Red-State America—and Faces a Sea of Empty Blue Seats,” Washington Post, June 20, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-a-time-of-national-crisis-and-division-trump-chooses-to-prepare-for-a-fight/2020/06/20/5ebf3306-b296-11ea-856d-5054296735e5_story.html.

  The conservative Drudge Report: Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, and Astead W. Herndon, “Trump Rally Fizzles as Attendance Falls Short of Campaign’s Expectations,” New York Times, June 20, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/us/politics/tulsa-trump-rally.html.

  Of course, they had no intention: Taylor Lorenz, Kellen Browning, and Sheera Frenkel, “TikTok Teens and K-Pop Stans Say They Sank Trump Rally,” New York Times, June 21, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/style/tiktok-trump-rally-tulsa.html.

  Before Trump’s visit: Sean Murphy, “Health Official: Trump Rally ‘Likely’ Source of Virus Surge,” Washington Post, July 8, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/health-official-trump-rally-likely-source-of-virus-surge/2020/07/08/b17f557c-c159-11ea-8908-68a2b9eae9e0_story.html.

  In addition, several dozen: Carol D. Leonnig and Joshua Partlow, “Dozens of Secret Service Officers and Agents Told to Self-Quarantine After Trump’s Tulsa Rally,” Washington Post, June 24, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dozens-of-secret-service-officers-and-agents-told-to-self-quarantine-after-trumps-tulsa-rally/2020/06/24/22c08b36-b55f-11ea-aca5-ebb63d27e1ff_story.html.

  He was soon hospitalized: John Wagner, Robert Costa, and Annie Gowen, “Herman Cain, Former Republican Presidential Hopeful, Has Died of Coronavirus, His Website Says,” Washington Post, July 30, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/herman-cain-former-republican-presidential-hopeful-has-died-of-the-coronavirus-statement-on-his-website-says/2020/07/30/4ac62a10-d273-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html.

  Demonstrations in Seattle: Jordan Muller, “Trump Calls Protesters ‘Terrorists,’ Pledges ‘Retribution’ for Tearing Down Statues,” Politico, June 26, 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/06/26/trump-retribution-protesters-statues-340957.

  Carlson claimed invading hordes: Charles Creitz, “Tucker Carlson Compares Seattle Protesters to Conquistadors: ‘They Planted a Flag and They Stole’ That Land,” Fox News, June 11, 2020, www.foxnews.com/media/tucker-carlson-seattle-protesters-like-spanish-conquistadors.

  When contacted by journalists: Jim Brunner, “Fox News Runs Digitally Altered Images in Coverage of Seattle’s Protests, Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” Seattle Times, June 12, 2020, www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fox-news-runs-digitally-altered-images-in-coverage-of-seattles-protests-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone.

  At a moment of crisis: James Walker, “Tucker Carlson Criticizes Trump over ‘Wrong Answer’ to Seattle CHAZ,” Newsweek, June 23, 2020, www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-criticizes-trump-wrong-answer-seattle-chaz-1512690.

  Twitter flagged Trump’s menacing tweet: Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety), Twitter, June 23, 2020, 2:46 p.m., https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1275500569940176897?s=20.

  “I am pleased to inform”: “Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany White House Press Conference Transcript,” Rev, July 1, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/press-secretary-kayleigh-mcenany-white-house-press-conference-transcript-july-1.

  “We were going in”: “Trump Takes Swipes at Biden in Explosive ‘Hannity’ Interview,” Fox News, July 9, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7b1NMMoqR4.

  “I don’t know what world”: Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman, “Opinion: Trump Told Hannity a Story About Threatening Seattle. The Mayor Says It Never Happened,” Washington Post, July 10, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/10/trump-told-hannity-story-about-threatening-seattle-mayor-says-it-never-happened.

  Chapter Ten: The Skunks at the Picnic

  “And he goes”: Michael Klinski, “Mount Trumpmore? It’s the President’s ‘Dream,’ Rep. Kristi Noem Says,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, April 24, 2018, www.argusleader.com/story/news/2018/04/24/president-donald-trump-mount-rushmore-trumpmore/544597002.

  She commended the size: Jonathan Martin and Maggie Haberman, “How Kristi Noem, Mt. Rushmore, and Trump Fueled Speculation About Pence’s Job,” New York Times, August 8, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/us/politics/kristi-noem-pence-trump.html.

  In another document: Jacob Bogage, “Postal Service Memos Detail ‘Difficult’ Changes, Including Slower Mail Delivery,” Washington Post, July 14, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail.

  “They’re going to be rigged”: “Trump Tells UPS Workers to ‘Be Careful’ with Mail-In Ballots,” Washington Post, July 15, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-tells-ups-workers-to-be-careful-with-mail-in-ballots/2020/07/15/1389aa21-f636-448c-835c-030035379cff_video.html.

  They also point to public reassurances: Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, and Laurie McGinley, “Fauci Is Sidelined by the White House as He Steps Up Blunt Talk on Pandemic,” Washington Post, July 11, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/11/fauci-trump-coronavirus.

  The cartoon was drawn: Katie Rogers, “Aide Posts Cartoon Mocking Fauci as White House Denies Undermining Him,” New York Times, July 14, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/us/politics/fauci-scavino-cartoon-white-house.html.

  “So when you ask me”: Peter Navarro, “Anthony Fauci Has Been Wrong About Everything I Have Interacted with Him On,” USA Today, July 14, 2020, www.
usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/07/14/anthony-fauci-wrong-with-me-peter-navarro-editorials-debates/5439374002.

  “When we ignore science”: Philip Rucker et al., “Rancor Between Scientists and Trump Allies Threatens Pandemic Response as Cases Surge,” Washington Post, July 17, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rancor-between-scientists-and-trump-allies-threatens-pandemic-response-as-cases-surge/2020/07/17/d950e9b6-c777-11ea-a99f-3bbdffb1af38_story.html.

  On July 14, the same day: “A Conversation with Anthony Fauci,” Georgetown University Global Health Initiative, July 14, 2020, https://globalhealth.georgetown.edu/events/a-conversation-with-anthony-fauci.

  “It’s something, I think”: Kelly Taylor Hayes, “ ‘We Have a Serious Situation Here’: Fauci Calls COVID-19, Like 1918 Flu, ‘Pandemic of Historic Proportions,’ ” FOX5 New York, July 15, 2020, www.fox5ny.com/news/we-have-a-serious-situation-here-fauci-calls-covid-19-like-1918-flu-pandemic-of-historic-proportions.

  “I hope we don’t even”: Morgan Chalfant, “Meadows Says Fauci Wrong to Compare Coronavirus to 1918 Pandemic,” The Hill, July 16, 2020, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/507763-meadows-says-fauci-wrong-to-compare-coronavirus-to-1918-pandemic.

  He told anchor Martha MacCallum: Chalfant, “Meadows Says Fauci Wrong to Compare Coronavirus.”

  “No, they’re not comparable”: “Mark Zuckerberg & Dr. Fauci Interview Transcript July 16,” Rev, July 17, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/mark-zuckerberg-dr-fauci-interview-transcript-july-16.

  A cascade of small expenses: Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman, “How Trump’s Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage,” New York Times, September 7, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-campaign-fundraising.html.

  Hope Hicks and Johnny McEntee: Yasmeen Abutaleb et al., “The Inside Story of How Trump’s Denial, Mismanagement and Magical Thinking Led to the Pandemic’s Dark Winter,” Washington Post, December 19, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/trump-covid-pandemic-dark-winter [inactive].

 

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