I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year
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She wrote a highly personal letter: Lisa Rein, “Under Pressure, Trump Appointee Emily Murphy Approves Transition in Unusually Personal Letter to Biden,” Washington Post, November 23, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html.
“To be clear, I did not”: “Read GSA Administrator Emily Murphy’s Letter to President-elect Joe Biden,” Washington Post, November 23, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/context/read-gsa-administrator-emily-murphy-s-letter-to-president-elect-joe-biden/a615a8b4-29b4-4628-8a9c-7e87fc2430dd/?itid=lk_readmore_manual_10.
But the day she concluded: “Read the Statement from 100-Plus Former National Security Officials,” Washington Post, November 23, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/context/read-the-statement-from-100-plus-former-national-security-officials/a559eb00-6e6c-4671-ab49-7bc9ccb967dc.
On December 3, Farah submitted: Ashley Parker, “Farah Resigns as White House Communications Director in Tacit Nod to Trump’s Loss,” Washington Post, December 3, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-farah-resign/2020/12/03/1623fa7a-3598-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html.
Chapter Nineteen: Cries of Injustice
Still, Trump continued: Shawn Boburg and Jacob Bogage, “Postal Worker Recanted Allegations of Ballot Tampering, Officials Say,” Washington Post, November 10, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/postal-worker-fabricated-ballot-pennsylvania/2020/11/10/99269a7c-2364-11eb-8599-406466ad1b8e_story.html?no_nav=true.
“And what happened”: Talia Kaplan, “Trump: DOJ ‘Missing in Action’ on Alleged Election Fraud,” Fox News, November 29, 2020, www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-doj-missing-in-action-alleged-election-fraud.
Barr told him that the Justice Department: Michael Balsamo, “Disputing Trump, Barr Says No Widespread Election Fraud,” Associated Press, December 1, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d.
This was designed: Charlie Savage, “Barr Makes Durham a Special Counsel in a Bid to Entrench Scrutiny of the Russia Inquiry,” New York Times, December 1, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/us/politics/john-durham-special-counsel-russia-investigation.html.
Trump continued to stew: Matt Zapotosky, Josh Dawsey, and Devlin Barrett, “Trump Is Said to Be Livid at Barr, with One Official Suggesting Termination Possible,” Washington Post, December 2, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-barr-election-fraud/2020/12/02/5717626c-34e2-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html.
The president’s daily tally: Rosalind S. Helderman, Emma Brown, and Elise Viebeck, “Trump’s Losses Stack Up Further as Wisconsin Supreme Court Declines to Hear Campaign Challenge to Election Results,” Washington Post, December 3, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wisconsin-supreme-court-trump-lawsuit/2020/12/03/ee481942-3596-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html.
And in Arizona: Maria Polletta, “Judge Rejects Arizona Republican Party’s Attempt to Overturn Election Results; GOP Vows Appeal,” Arizona Republic, December 4, 2020, www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/04/arizona-judge-rejects-republican-effort-overturn-state-election-results/3821578001.
More than fifty: Rosalind S. Helderman and Elise Viebeck, “ ‘The Last Wall’: How Dozens of Judges Across the Political Spectrum Rejected Trump’s Efforts to Overturn the Election, Washington Post, December 12, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html.
But the win impacted a small cluster: Mick Stinelli, “Trump Campaign Wins Case on Pa. Voter ID Deadline,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 12, 2020, www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2020/11/12/trump-campaign-election-2020-presidential-pennsylvania-lawsuit-ballots-late-identification/stories/202011120132.
Another irony: Robert Barnes and Elise Viebeck, “Supreme Court Denies Trump Allies’ Bid to Overturn Pennsylvania Election Results,” Washington Post, December 8, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-trump-pennsylvania-election-results/2020/12/08/4d39e16c-397d-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html.
“The application for injunctive relief”: Order in Pending Case, Kelly, Mike, et al., v. Pennsylvania, et al., Supreme Court, December 8, 2020, www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/120820zr_bq7d.pdf.
On December 11, the court: Robert Barnes, “Supreme Court Dismisses Bid Led by Texas Attorney General to Overturn the Presidential Election Results, Blocking Trump’s Legal Path to a Reversal of His Loss,” Washington Post, December 11, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-texas-election-trump/2020/12/11/bf462f22-3bc6-11eb-bc68-96af0daae728_story.html.
As Milley recounted the moment: Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC), Twitter, December 8, 2020, 8:42 a.m., https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1336305053754421255?s=20.
Before it came to that: Jonathan Swan, “Scoop: Gina Haspel Threatened to Resign over Plan to Install Kash Patel as CIA Deputy,” Axios, January 16, 2021, www.axios.com/kash-patel-cia-gina-haspel-757b92c0-82a5-457b-bde8-d0d683ee222e.html.
A White House spokesman: Reuters Staff, “Proud Boys Leader Wasn’t Invited to White House, Took Public Tour: Spokesman,” Reuters, December 12, 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-protests-proud-boys/proud-boys-leader-wasnt-invited-to-white-house-took-public-tour-spokesman-idUSKBN28M0V2.
“We will utilize that system”: Emily Davies et al., “Multiple People Stabbed After Thousands Gather for Pro-Trump Demonstrations in Washington,” Washington Post, December 12, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/local/trump-dc-rally-maga/2020/12/11/8b5af818-3bdb-11eb-bc68-96af0daae728_story.html.
“You need to step up”: “Georgia Election Official Gabriel Sterling: ‘Someone’s Going to Get Killed’ Transcript,” Rev, December 1, 2020, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/georgia-election-official-gabriel-sterling-someones-going-to-get-killed-transcript.
She had just finished: Katie Shepherd, “Armed Protesters Alleging Voter Fraud Surrounded the Home of Michigan’s Secretary of State,” Washington Post, December 7, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/07/michigan-sos-benson-armed-protest.
“And now apparently”: Nick Corasaniti, Jim Rutenberg, and Kathleen Gray, “As Trump Rails Against Loss, His Supporters Become More Threatening,” New York Times, December 8, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/us/politics/trump-election-challenges.html.
Shortly after his floor speech: Nicholas Fandos and Luke Broadwater, “McConnell Congratulates Biden and Lobbies Colleagues to Oppose a Final-Stage G.O.P. Effort to Overturn His Victory,” New York Times, December 15, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/politics/mitch-mcconnell-congratulates-biden.html.
It opened by suggesting that: “Read William Barr’s Resignation Letter to President Trump,” Washington Post, December 14, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/context/read-william-barr-s-resignation-letter-to-president-trump/2b0820cb-3890-498a-bd46-c1b248049c70.
In his Newsmax TV interview: Solange Reyner, “Michael Flynn to Newsmax TV: Trump Has Options to Secure Integrity of 2020 Election,” Newsmax TV, December 17, 2020, www.newsmax.com/politics/trump-election-flynn-martiallaw/2020/12/17/id/1002139.
She said he should: Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Trump Weighed Naming Election Conspiracy Theorist as Special Counsel,” New York Times, December 19, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/trump-sidney-powell-voter-fraud.html.
With that, Herschmann called: Jonathan Swan and Zachary Basu, “Bonus Episode: Inside the Craziest Meeting of the Trump Presidency,” Axios, February 2, 2021, www.axios.com/trump-oval-office-meeting-sidney-powell-a8e1e466-2e42-42d0-9cf1-26eb267f8723.html.
When The New York Times reported: Haberman and Kanno-Youngs, “Trump Weighed Naming Election Conspiracy Theorist.”
Chapter Twenty: Hitting a Dead End
Trump also granted mercy: Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt, “Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards,” New York Times, Dec
ember 22, 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/politics/trump-pardons.html.
The president claimed: Amy Gardner, “Trump Pressured a Georgia Elections Investigator in a Separate Call Legal Experts Say Could Amount to Obstruction,” Washington Post, March 11, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-call-georgia-investigator/2021/01/09/7a55c7fa-51cf-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html#click=https://t.co/5J07XsWeSl.
“The people of Georgia are so angry”: Charles Davis, “Trump Pressured Another Georgia Elections Official, Frances Watson, to Uncover Nonexistent Voter Fraud,” Business Insider, March 10, 2021, www.businessinsider.com/transcript-trump-pressures-another-georgia-elections-official-to-find-fraud-2021-3.
At a “Stop the Steal” rally: Joey Garrison, “ ‘They Have Not Earned Your Vote’: Trump Allies Urge Georgia Republicans to Sit Out Senate Runoffs,” USA Today, December 2, 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/02/trump-allies-urge-georgia-republicans-sit-out-senate-runoffs/3800126001.
In the Senate, Josh Hawley: John Wagner and Rosalind S. Helderman, “Hawley’s Plan to Contest Electoral College Vote Certification Ensures Drawn-Out Process,” Washington Post, December 31, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress-election-vote-certification-objection/2020/12/30/4dce936c-4ab6-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html.
On December 31, McConnell: Jonathan Swan, “McConnell Calls January 6 Certification His ‘Most Consequential Vote,’ ” Axios, December 31, 2020, www.axios.com/mcconnell-calls-jan-6-certification-his-most-consequential-vote-323cd74c-7dfa-4420-bd32-32a36398dadc.html.
“WERES MY MONEY” was sprayed: Stephanie Wolf, “Louisville Home of Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Spray Painted,” 89.3 WFPL, January 2, 2021, https://wfpl.org/mitch-mcconnells-louisville-home-spray-painted-with-wheres-my-money.
“Trump . . . will soon”: Neta Bar, “In Thinly Veiled Threat, Rouhani Says Trump ‘Nearing the End of His Life,’ ” Israel Hayom, January 3, 2021, www.israelhayom.com/2021/01/03/in-thinly-veiled-threat-rouhani-says-trump-nearing-the-end-of-his-life.
more than eighty judges: Rosalind S. Helderman and Elise Viebeck, “ ‘The Last Wall’: How Dozens of Judges Across the Political Spectrum Rejected Trump’s Efforts to Overturn the Election,” Washington Post, December 12, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html.
They were about to publish: Ashton Carter et al., “Opinion: All 10 Living Former Defense Secretaries: Involving the Military in Election Disputes Would Cross into Dangerous Territory,” Washington Post, January 3, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/10-former-defense-secretaries-military-peaceful-transfer-of-power/2021/01/03/2a23d52e-4c4d-11eb-a9f4-0e668b9772ba_story.html.
“The end is coming”: “Pence,” Lincoln Project, December 8, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxBPqCHFCcc.
Pence ignored the president’s order: Mike Allen, “The Swamp Wins,” Axios, January 20, 2021, www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-f813b85e-e4e4-4b39-aea4-4340375df10e.html?chunk=2&utm_term=twsocialshare#story2.
“Senator, I can guarantee that”: Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing to Consider the Nomination of General Mark A. Milley, USA, to Be Chief of Staff of the Army, July 21, 2015, www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/15-64%20-%207-21-15.pdf.
“Well, Mr. President, the challenge”: Amy Gardner and Paulina Firozi, “Here’s the Full Transcript and Audio of the Call Between Trump and Raffensperger,” Washington Post, January 5, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-transcript-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/2768e0cc-4ddd-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html.
Shortly before 9:00 a.m. the next day: Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe), Twitter, January 4, 2021, 2:47 p.m., https://twitter.com/BrendanKeefe/status/1346191481179148288?s=20.
The undeniable sounds: Amy Gardner, “ ‘I Just Want to Find 11,780 Votes’: In Extraordinary Hour-Long Call, Trump Pressures Georgia Secretary of State to Recalculate the Vote in His Favor,” Washington Post, January 3, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html.
“If President Trump wouldn’t have”: Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe), Twitter, January 4, 2021, 2:47 p.m., https://twitter.com/BrendanKeefe/status/1346181358092222467?s=20.
“Civilian and military officials”: Carter et al., “Opinion: All 10 Living Former Defense Secretaries.”
“I hope Mike Pence”: “Donald Trump Rally Speech Transcript Dalton, Georgia: Senate Runoff Election,” Rev, January 4, 2021, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-rally-speech-transcript-dalton-georgia-senate-runoff-election.
Two days earlier: “Romney Statement on Certification of Presidential Election Results,” Mitt Romney, U.S. Senator for Utah, January 3, 2021, www.romney.senate.gov/romney-statement-certification-presidential-election-results.
One of them shouted: Jaclyn Peiser, “Trump Supporters Heckle Romney, Chanting ‘Traitor’ on Flight to D.C.,” Washington Post, January 6, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/06/romney-airport-flight-heckled-trump.
A little later that evening: “Georgia Senate Runoff Election Results 2021,” NBC News, March 6, 2021, www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-elections/georgia-senate-runoff-results.
Chapter Twenty-one: The Insurrection
But then Giuliani said: “Rudy Giuliani Speech Transcript at Trump’s Washington, D.C. Rally: Wants ‘Trial by Combat,’ ” Rev, January 6, 2021, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/rudy-giuliani-speech-transcript-at-trumps-washington-d-c-rally-wants-trial-by-combat.
After realizing she was being filmed: Ali Swenson, “Video of Trump Family in Tent was Filmed Before Capitol Riot,” Associated Press, January 8, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-afs:Content:9916360242.
The first lady was busy that morning: Kate Bennett, “Melania Trump and Adult Trump Children Avoid the Spotlight After One of Nation’s Darkest Days,” CNN, January 11, 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/politics/melania-trump-white-house-capitol-riot/index.html.
Police in that area: “Alabama Man Charged with Possession of Eleven Molotov Cocktails Found Near Protest at U.S. Capitol,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, January 8, 2021, www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/alabama-man-charged-possession-eleven-molotov-cocktails-found-near-protest-us-capitol.
His final words: Aaron Glantz, “Read Pence’s Full Letter Saying He Can’t Claim ‘Unilateral Authority’ to Reject Electoral Votes,” PBS NewsHour, January 6, 2021, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-pences-full-letter-saying-he-cant-claim-unilateral-authority-to-reject-electoral-votes.
Reading from a carefully prepared text: “Mitch McConnell Senate Speech Transcript January 6: Rejects Efforts to Overturn Presidential Election Results,” Rev, January 6, 2021, www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/_BVl6g_r_ZHl4d0d8oIEIgxEKf9aCpcassr2QQRLz9GCqZd22ybzoq_ZrGp8D3L6nVb6YIYZTGjOgxSTld6RbTbtCfo?loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=101.07.
Just outside the Capitol: “Alabama Man Was Among 4 Who Died During Siege on US Capitol,” Associated Press, January 7, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/alabama-arrests-violence-ab2cd813876bab778df07a991ba2379d.
A stream of Trump warriors: Dominic Pezzola and William Pepe, Indictment, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1362646/download.
Had Pence walked past: Ashley Parker et al., “How the Rioters Who Stormed the Capitol Came Dangerously Close to Pence,” Washington Post, January 15, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-rioters-capitol-attack/2021/01/15/ab62e434-567c-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html.
Lindsey Graham said: Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Philip Rucker, “Six Hours of Paralysis: Inside Trump’s Failure to Act After a Mob Stormed the Capitol,” Washington Post, January 11, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mob-failure/2021/01/11/36a46e2e-542e-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html.
“Mr. President, they just took the vice president”: Kyle Cheney, “Tu
berville Says He Informed Trump of Pence’s Evacuation Before Rioters Reached Senate,” Politico, February 11, 2021, www.politico.com/news/2021/02/11/tuberville-pences-evacuation-trump-impeachment-468572.
And they were talking about optics: Dan Lamothe et al., “Army Falsely Denied Flynn’s Brother Was Involved in Key Part of Military Response to Capitol Riot,” Washington Post, January 20, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/flynn-national-guard-call-riot/2021/01/20/7f4f41ba-5b4c-11eb-aaad-93988621dd28_story.html.
“I am making urgent”: Carol D. Leonnig et al., “Outgoing Capitol Police Chief: House, Senate Security Officials Hamstrung Efforts to Call in National Guard,” Washington Post, January 10, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sund-riot-national-guard/2021/01/10/fc2ce7d4-5384-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html.
At 2:44, Ashli Babbitt: Jon Swaine et al., “Video Shows Fatal Shooting of Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol,” Washington Post, January 8, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/01/08/ashli-babbitt-shooting-video-capitol.
In Pelosi’s office suite: Joe Heim and Valerie Strauss, “As U.S. Capitol Attack Unfolded, Some Hill Staffers Remembered Their School-Shooting Drills,” Washington Post, January 14, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/education/hill-staffers-school-shooting-drills/2021/01/14/3fe783d0-55e7-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html.
Some of McConnell’s aides: Karoun Demirjian et al., “Inside the Capitol Siege: How Barricaded Lawmakers and Aides Sounded Urgent Pleas for Help as Police Lost Control,” Washington Post, January 10, 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-capitol-siege/2021/01/09/e3ad3274-5283-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html.
Kevin McCarthy, who had been: “Herrera Beutler Again Confirms Conversation with McCarthy Regarding January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack,” Jaime Herrera Beutler, U.S. Congresswoman, Feb. 12, 2021, https://jhb.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402083.