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

by Carol Leonnig

  For instance, he argued: Yasmeen Abutaleb and Josh Dawsey, “New Trump Pandemic Adviser Pushes Controversial ‘Herd Immunity’ Strategy, Worrying Public Health Officials,” Washington Post, August 31, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-scott-atlas-herd-immunity/2020/08/30/925e68fe-e93b-11ea-970a-64c73a1c2392_story.html.

  Chapter Eleven: Fear and Fantasy

  Since 1845, federal law: Alexander Burns, “Why Trump Has No Power to Delay the 2020 Election,” New York Times,” July 30, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/politics/trump-postpone-election.html.

  Evanina had privately warned: “Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: 100 Days Until Election 2020,” Office of the Director of National Intelligence, July 24, 2020, www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/item/2135-statement-by-ncsc-director-william-evanina-100-days-until-election-2020.

  He would later tell Trump: Shane Harris, Ellen Nakashima, and Josh Dawsey, “Russia Is Trying to ‘Denigrate’ Biden While China Prefers ‘Unpredictable’ Trump Not Be Reelected, Senior U.S. Intelligence Official Says,” Washington Post, August 7, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/seeing-trump-as-unpredictable-china-would-prefer-he-not-win-reelection-intelligence-official-says/2020/08/07/98e1ad8c-d8e0-11ea-aff6-220dd3a14741_story.html.

  Unlike Russia, however: “Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: Election Threat Update for the American Public,” Office of the Director of National Intelligence, August 7, 2020, www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2020/item/2139-statement-by-ncsc-director-william-evanina-election-threat-update-for-the-american-public.

  Asked about Evanina’s report: “08/07/20: President Trump Holds a News Conference,” Trump White House Archived, August 7, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhCb7QIEJAU; “Donald Trump Press Conference Transcript August 7: Talks Stimulus, Economy, Executive Orders, Beirut,” Rev, August 7, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-press-conference-transcript-august-7-talks-stimulus-economy-beirut.

  And she criticized Evanina: “Pelosi: Russia Is 24/7 Interfering in Election,” CNN, August 9, 2020, www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/08/09/sotu-pelosi-russia.cnn.

  “The American people need”: Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi), Twitter, August 9, 2020, 2:16 p.m., https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1292525252338163712?s=20.

  The 671 machines: Jacob Bogage and Christopher Ingraham, “Here’s Why the Postal Service Wanted to Remove Hundreds of Mail-Sorting Machines,” Washington Post, August 20, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/20/postal-service-mail-sorters-removals.

  On August 14, Pelosi: Letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi et al., to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, August 14, 2020, www.speaker.gov/sites/speaker.house.gov/files/20200814_Letter_JointPelosiSchumerLofgrenKlobucharCBMPeterstoPMGreElectionPrep.pdf.

  Some stuffed phony: Kolbie Satterfield (@KolbieReports), Twitter, August 15, 2020, 8:42 a.m., https://twitter.com/KolbieReports/status/1294615470004469760?s=20.

  The House Committee on Oversight and Reform: Letter from Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, August 16, 2020, https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2020-08-16.CBM%20to%20DeJoy-PMG%20reWitnessInvite.pdf.

  “That’s no secret”: Erin Coz et al., “Postal Service Warns 46 States Their Voters Could Be Disenfranchised by Delayed Mail-In Ballots,” Washington Post, August 14, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html.

  Adding to the suspicion: Bogage and Ingraham, “Here’s Why the Postal Service Wanted to Remove Hundreds of Mail-Sorting Machines.”

  Postal Service sent a separate: Coz et al., “Postal Service Warns 46 States.”

  A fisherman in Alaska: Matt Stevens and Isabella Grullón Paz, “Democratic National Convention’s Roll Call Showcases Voices from Across America,” New York Times, August 19, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/us/politics/dnc-roll-call.html.

  John Kasich, the former Republican: Jackie Borchardt, “Where Were the Crossroads from John Kasich’s Democratic Convention Speech? We Found Them,” Cincinnati Enquirer, August 19, 2020, www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/19/where-were-two-paths-john-kasichs-dnc-speech-crossroads/3394783001.

  “That she might weep”: Robin Givhan, “Michelle Obama’s Speech Was Like an Empathetic Neighbor Expressing Sorrow for What Our Country Has Become,” Washington Post, August 18, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/michelle-obama-convention-speech-necklace-vote/2020/08/18/bd07fb74-e0e4-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html.

  “These are basically”: Carolyn Y. Johnson et al., “Trump Touts FDA’s Emergency Authorization of Convalescent Plasma as Historic Breakthrough, but Scientists Are Doubtful,” Washington Post, August 23, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/23/trump-convalescent-plasma-okay.

  Within roughly twenty-four hours: Matthew Perrone and Deb Riechmann, “FDA Chief Apologizes for Overstating Plasma Effect on Virus,” Washington Post, August 25, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fda-commissioner-says-he-overstated-effects-of-virus-therapy/2020/08/25/38c603dc-e6da-11ea-bf44-0d31c85838a5_story.html.

  For instance, Mark and Patricia McCloskey: Philip Rucker and Dan Balz, “Trump Looks to Republican Convention for Campaign Reboot,” Washington Post, August 22, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-convention-reboot/2020/08/22/498f1bec-e417-11ea-b69b-64f7b0477ed4_story.html.

  The president spoke: Philip Rucker et al., “Trump Attacks Biden and Casts Himself as an Insurgent in His Acceptance Speech,” Washington Post, August 28, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/08/27/republican-national-convention-live-updates.

  Chapter Twelve: Self-Sabotage

  In Little Rock: Monica Alba, “Birx Goes on the Road to Push Her Pandemic Message,” NBC News, September 25, 2020, www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/birx-goes-road-push-her-pandemic-message-n1241085.

  At a news conference: Autumn Bell, “Vice President Pence, Gov. DeSantis Urge Floridians to Stay Vigilant Amid COVID-19 Pandemic,” WTXL Tallahassee, July 2, 2020, www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/vice-president-pence-gov-desantis-urge-floridians-to-stay-vigilant-amid-covid-19-pandemic.

  But Atlas used: Cindy Krischer Goodman, “DeSantis Brings White House Adviser to Back School Reopenings. But Atlas Denies Promoting ‘Herd Immunity’ Strategy,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, August 31, 2020, www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-covid-ron-desantis-scott-atlas-20200831-afjkwrnk75hr3jloiyvnslfxie-story.html.

  Ratcliffe wrote that: Jake Tapper and Zachary Cohen, “Top Intelligence Office Informs Congressional Committees It’ll No Longer Brief In-Person on Election Security,” CNN, August 29, 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/08/29/politics/office-of-director-of-national-intelligence-congress-election-security/index.html.

  “It is an outrage”: Nicholas Fandos and Julian E. Barnes, “No More In-Person Election Briefings for Congress, Intelligence Chief Says,” New York Times, August 29, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/us/politics/election-security-intelligence-briefings-congress.html.

  By engaging in such conversations: Tapper and Cohen, “Top Intelligence Office Informs.”

  “When they’re done”: Natasha Bertrand, “Trump’s Intel Briefer Breaks Her Silence,” Politico, July 6, 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/07/06/trump-intelligence-briefer-breaks-silence-349936.

  The Trump campaign was spending: Nick Corasaniti, “As Trump Attacks Voting by Mail, His Campaign Tells Supporters to Request Absentee Ballots,” New York Times, September 2, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/elections/as-trump-attacks-voting-by-mail-his-campaign-tells-supporters-to-request-absentee-ballots.html.

  The program paired: “Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Legend,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 8, 2020, www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-operation-legend.

  B
arr said the operation: AZFamily.com news staff, “Attorney General William Barr Visits Phoenix to Announce Nationwide Drug Bust,” AZFamily.com, September 10, 2020, www.azfamily.com/news/attorney-general-william-barr-visits-phoenix-to-announce-nationwide-drug-bust/article_9d2b7450-f37e-11ea-9815-07d4a02f8e36.html.

  Addressing some eight hundred attendees: Michael Crowley, “Israel, U.A.E., and Bahrain Sign Accords, with an Eager Trump Playing Host,” New York Times, September 15, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/trump-israel-peace-emirates-bahrain.html.

  The president suggested: Peter Baker et al., “Israel and United Arab Emirates Strike Major Diplomatic Agreement,” New York Times, August 13, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/politics/trump-israel-united-arab-emirates-uae.html.

  And his campaign took: Jamie Ross, “Team Trump Misspells ‘Nobel’ in Campaign Ad Celebrating Meaningless Peace Prize Nomination,” Daily Beast, September 11, 2020, www.thedailybeast.com/trump-team-misspells-nobel-in-campaign-ad-celebrating-meaningless-peace-prize-nomination.

  Worse still, he said: Amy Goldstein and Sean Sullivan, “CDC Director Says Coronavirus Vaccines Won’t Be Widely Available Till the Middle of Next Year,” Washington Post, September 16, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/cdc-director-says-coronavirus-vaccines-wont-be-widely-available-till-the-middle-of-next-year/2020/09/16/209fecf6-f827-11ea-be57-d00bb9bc632d_story.html.

  “We’ve manufactured all the necessary supplies”: “Donald Trump Says CDC Director ‘Confused’ About Covid-19 Vaccine Timetable,” Guardian, September 17, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlBd7zxfhhs.

  He added, “I’m not sure”: Morgan Chalfant, “Meadows Disputes CDC Director’s Vaccine Timeline,” The Hill, September 17, 2020, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/516855-meadows-disputes-cdc-directors-vaccine-timeline.

  recorded a Facebook Live video: “Top HHS Spokesman Shares Conspiracy-Laden Rant in Facebook Live,” CNN, September 16, 2020, www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/09/16/caputo-facebook-live-cdc-valencia-ip-vpx.cnn.

  And he encouraged his friends: Sharon LaFraniere, “Trump Health Aide Pushes Bizarre Conspiracies and Warns of Armed Revolt,” New York Times, September 14, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/caputo-virus.html.

  Under mounting pressure: Sharon LaFraniere, “Trump Health Official Apologizes for Facebook Outburst,” New York Times, September 15, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/michael-caputo-coronavirus.html.

  Chapter Thirteen: Stand Back and Stand By

  The president’s answer: Michael Crowley, “Trump Won’t Commit to ‘Peaceful’ Post-Election Transfer of Power,” New York Times, September 23, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/us/politics/trump-power-transfer-2020-election.html.

  “The ballots are out of control”: “Donald Trump White House Press Briefing Transcript September 23,” Rev, September 23, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-white-house-press-briefing-transcript-september-23.

  This exchange lasted less: Philip Rucker, Amy Gardner, and Annie Linskey, “Trump’s Escalating Attacks on Election Prompt Fears of a Constitutional Crisis,” Washington Post, September 24, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-election-transition-crisis/2020/09/24/068d2286-fe79-11ea-8d05-9beaaa91c71f_story.html.

  It had been approved: Ewen Callaway, “Russia’s Fast-Track Coronavirus Vaccine Draws Outrage over Safety,” Nature, August 11, 2020, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02386-2.

  Dr. Paul Offit, a member: Yasmeen Abutaleb et al., “Trump’s Den of Dissent: Inside the White House Task Force as Coronavirus Surges,” Washington Post, October 19, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-den-of-dissent-inside-the-white-house-task-force-as-coronavirus-surges/2020/10/19/7ff8ee6a-0a6e-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html.

  But the political result: Laurie McGinley and Carolyn Y. Johnson, “FDA Poised to Announce Tougher Standards for a Covid-19 Vaccine That Make It Unlikely One Will Be Cleared by Election Day,” Washington Post, September 22, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/22/fda-covid-vaccine-approval-standard.

  On September 25: Jeremy Diamond, Nick Valencia, and Sara Murray, “Trump Has Lost Patience with CDC Head After Series of Mixed Messages,” CNN, September 25, 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/redfield-trump-cdc-morale/index.html.

  “The president, the vice president”: Jonathan Swan, “Scoop: CDC Director Overruled on Cruise Ship Ban,” Axios, September 29, 2020, www.axios.com/scoop-white-house-overruled-cdc-cruise-ships-florida-91442136-1b8e-442e-a2a1-0b24e9a39fb6.html.

  The White House, facing the risk: “Framework for Conditional Sailing and Initial Phase Covid-19 Testing Requirements for Protection of Crew,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 30, 2020, www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/CDC-Conditional-Sail-Order_10_30_2020-p.pdf.

  Candice told police: Incident/Investigation Report, Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, September 27, 2020, www.flpd.org/home/showdocument?id=6114.

  When Parscale stayed standing: “Video of Brad Parscale Being Taken into Custody Released by Fort Lauderdale Police,” WPLG Local 10, September 28, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=U86UEfo3Dv0.

  RINO was an acronym: Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey, “Police Report of Suicide Threat by Former Trump Campaign Manager Includes Domestic Abuse Allegations,” Washington Post, September 28, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/parscale-suicide-threat-abuse/2020/09/28/34644958-01aa-11eb-8879-7663b816bfa5_story.html.

  At one point, an exasperated: Anne Gearan, Philip Rucker, and Annie Linskey, “Trump Incessantly Interrupts and Insults Biden as They Spar in Acrimonious First Debate,” Washington Post, September 30, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/debate-trump-biden/2020/09/30/722499a8-0274-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html.

  When Biden gave an impassioned defense: “Donald Trump & Joe Biden 1st Presidential Debate Transcript 2020,” Rev, September 29, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-joe-biden-1st-presidential-debate-transcript-2020.

  Chapter Fourteen: Nobody’s Immune

  Trump and Meadows did not want: Jennifer Jacobs and Josh Wingrove, “Trump Kept Regular Schedule After Learning Close Aide Hope Hicks Had Covid,” Bloomberg, October 2, 2020, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-02/trump-kept-regular-schedule-after-learning-close-aide-had-covid.

  As Dr. Kavita Patel: Philip Rucker et al., “Invincibility Punctured by Infection: How the Coronavirus Spread in Trump’s White House,” Washington Post, October 2, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-virus-spread-white-house/2020/10/02/38c5b354-04cc-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html.

  In a recorded message: Maggie Haberman and Michael D. Shear, “Trump Says He’ll Begin ‘Quarantine Process’ After Hope Hicks Tests Positive for Coronavirus,” New York Times, October 1, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/us/politics/hope-hicks-coronavirus.html.

  Shortly after 8:00 p.m., nearly eight hours: Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs), Twitter, October 1, 2020, 8:09 p.m., https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1311820562587619333?s=20.

  “Rest assured I expect”: “Read the Letter from White House Physician Dr. Sean Conley About Trump’s Covid Diagnosis,” NBC News, October 2, 2020, www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/read-letter-white-house-physician-dr-sean-conley-about-trump-n1241771.

  Later that morning, Trump’s condition: Christina Morales, Allyson Waller, and Marie Fazio, “A Timeline of Trump’s Symptoms and Treatments,” New York Times, October 4, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/us/trump-covid-symptoms-timeline.html.

  “Stayed on that”: “President Trump’s Doctors Provide Update from Walter Reed,” Rev, October 4, 2020, www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/td0F6VmlQb-4CvMXxugZSFOOwxNoFqiYg_G52pk0zPm2IsiTK3ONR5_vsXTuSZih_TeHULcUbhcHOd9g5AUyOTGNLnI?loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=75.65.

  Conley’s memo mistakenly: “Memorandum from Trump’s Doctor on COVID-19 Treatment,” Associated Press, October 2, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-melania-trum
p-archive-f1ef1f03cdd92fa83618ed34a3ea5ddb.

  Dr. Thomas McGinn: Katie Thomas and Roni Caryn Rabin, “Use of Dexamethasone to Treat Trump Suggests Severe Covid-19, Experts Say,” New York Times, October 4, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/health/trump-covid-treatment.html.

  Later Saturday evening: Carol D. Leonnig and Robert O’Harrow Jr., “White House Physician Sean Conley Draws Scrutiny for Rosy Assessments of Trump’s Health,” Washington Post, October 7, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sean-conley-trump-health/2020/10/04/af63a16e-0653-11eb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html.

  “Saturday’s briefing by President Trump’s medical team”: Leana S. Wen, “Opinion: The Medical Briefing on Trump’s Health Was an Insulting Exercise in Obfuscation,” Washington Post, October 3, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/03/medical-briefing-trumps-health-was-an-insulting-exercise-obfuscation.

  “We’re working hard”: “Trump in New Video from Hospital: ‘Wasn’t Feeling So Well, I Am Feeling Much Better Now,’ ” FOX 7 Austin, October 3, 2020, www.facebook.com/FOX7Austin/videos/870871296991591.

  In conversations with advisers: Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman, “Trump Makes First Public Appearance Since Leaving Walter Reed,” New York Times, October 10, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/10/us/politics/trump-white-house-coronavirus.html.

  But, he added: Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, and Josh Dawsey, “Even from His Hospital Rooms, Trump Tries to Convince Public He’s in Charge,” Washington Post, October 5, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-hospital-in-charge-virus/2020/10/05/a052f37c-0744-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html.

  “Where are the adults?” the former agent: Josh Dawsey, Carol D. Leonnig, and Hannah Knowles, “Secret Service Agents, Doctors Aghast at Trump’s Drive Outside Hospital,” Washington Post, October 4, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/04/trump-hospital-drive-criticism.