Fear: Trump in the White House

Home > Nonfiction > Fear: Trump in the White House > Page 43
Fear: Trump in the White House Page 43

by Bob Woodward


  Article II powers of president and, 326, 328, 350, 356

  authority of, 169, 171

  collusion (See Russia, collusion with)

  Comey and, 326, 327, 328, 331

  conclusion of, 325

  corrupt intent as focus of, 346, 350

  Deutsche Bank, records subpoenaed from, 326–27

  documentation submitted to, 171–73, 198–99

  Dowd's recommendation that Trump not testify, 332–33, 351–56

  Dowd's resignation and, 356–57

  Dowd's strategies for dealing with, 324–33, 343–56

  executive privilege and, 351

  Flynn and, 169, 170, 173, 198, 327–30

  grand jury subpoena of president threatened, 343–45, 348

  hindering ability to act as president, Trump's complaints about, 324–25

  on Kushner finances, 194

  legal representation of Trump in, 167–73

  lies and lying, 4, 299, 347, 348, 352, 357

  obstruction of justice, 169, 173, 345, 350, 357

  perjury traps set by, 348, 350, 357

  presidential campaign, alleged meetings with Russians during, 172–73, 197–98

  presidential testimony sought by, questions submitted for, 327–33, 343–51

  recusal of Sessions, 168, 176, 213, 216

  Sessions and, 327

  specific matters being investigated, 172–73

  Trump and Dowd practicing testimony before, 327–33, 345–46

  Trump finances, investigation of, 199–201

  Muir, David, 33, 34

  Mulvaney, Mick, 290, 292

  Murdoch, Rupert, 20

  Murkowski, Lisa, 206

  Muslim ban, 100

  MV-22 Osprey, loss of, 73

  NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), 135, 142, 155–58, 160, 233, 264, 274

  National Economic Council (NEC), 59–60, 112, 141, 143, 189, 278

  National Guard troops, as border security, 342

  National ICE Council, 283

  national security, steel and aluminum imports as threat to, 160, 337

  National Security Agency (NSA), 27, 70, 180

  National Security Council (NSC)

  Afghanistan War, meetings and strategizing on, 117–21, 124–26, 254

  foreign policy presentations, lack of organizing principle for, 195–96

  Iran nuclear deal and, 130

  KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, 265, 305–8

  Middle East, Harvey as director for, 108–14

  nuclear North Korea, McMaster on Trump and, 280

  process for, 228–29, 310

  Russian meddling in election and, 28

  Syria, chemical attack in, 149–50

  Tillerson accused by McMaster of failing to consult with, 211

  Trump insulting McMaster in front of, 307

  National Security Strategy, 297

  National Trade Council, 134, 140

  NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 76–79, 124, 132, 305, 307, 310

  Navarro, Peter, 134–35, 140–41, 142–43, 155, 156, 157, 265, 266, 274, 275, 277–78, 334, 335, 336–37

  Nazis and neo-Nazis, 238, 239, 240, 243, 246, 250, 251

  NBC, 2, 29–30, 32, 38, 164

  NEC (National Economic Council), 59–60, 112, 141, 143, 189, 278

  Neller, Robert B., 246

  neo-Nazis, 238, 239, 240, 243, 246, 250, 251

  Netanyahu, Benjamin, 110

  The New Republic, 25

  New York Daily News, 20

  New York Times

  on Afghanistan, 254

  on agricultural trade with China, 159

  on Comey firing, 164

  on Dowd resignation, 356

  on immigration, 318

  interviews with Trump, 65, 280

  on Mueller investigation, 172, 197, 198

  on Porter domestic abuse allegations, 336

  on presidential campaign, 8–9, 10, 11, 14, 24

  on Russian contacts with Trump associates, 83–85, 145

  on Russian election interference, 65

  Sessions attacked by Trump in, 213

  on tax reform, 287

  Trump’s views on, 14

  on Ukrainian funds paid to Manafort, 21–22

  World Economic Forum, on Trump speech at (January 2018), 298–99

  New York Times v. Sullivan, 318–19

  Nicholson, John, 221–22, 311–12, 313

  Nielsen, Kirstjen, 284

  9/11 terrorist attacks, 51, 52, 108, 116, 119, 121–22, 127, 128, 177, 254–56, 314

  Nixon, Richard, 13, 164, 166, 173, 216, 352, 360

  Nobel Prize, 95, 233

  North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 135, 142, 155–58, 160, 233, 264, 274

  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 76–79, 124, 132, 305, 307, 310

  North Carolina, presidential election campaign in, 43, 45

  North Korea, nuclear proliferation in

  assassination/replacement of Kim Jong Un, proposals regarding, 181–84, 282

  backchannel diplomacy between U.S. and North Korea, 95–97

  Bannon on, 259

  Bolton on regime change in North Korea, 87

  cyber attacks and, 92, 93, 97–98, 280

  Graham on, 99–105, 281–82, 302

  KORUS and, xvii–xxii, xxiii, 105–7, 142, 264, 304–8

  McCain on, 99–105

  missile delivery capabilities, CIA conclusions on, 308

  Obama administration concerns about, 91–98, 103, 105, 177, 301

  PIE (Peninsula Intelligence Estimate), 183

  planning contingent U.S. responses to, 181–85

  preemptive military strike, study of effectiveness of, 92–93, 94–95

  pressure campaign and deterrence/containment strategies, 279–80

  “Rocket Man”/”Little Rocket Man” comments, 280, 281, 282

  secretiveness of intelligence community about, 177–81

  testing, 178–81

  Tillerson on, 179, 180, 229, 282

  Trump threatening regime over, 282–83

  Trump’s public statements about, 95, 280–81, 282–83, 300–302

  Trump’s U.N. General Assembly address (September 2017), 280–81

  U.N. Security Council sanctions, 232

  U.S., North Korean view of, 96

  U.S. citizens imprisoned in North Korea, 96

  U.S. travel restrictions and, 180

  NSA (National Security Agency), 27, 70, 180

  NSC. See National Security Council

  nuclear weapons. See also North Korea, nuclear proliferation in

  Air Force research and design tests, 308

  Hiroshima, 181

  Iran, nuclear deal with, 111, 129–33

  Iraq, WMD allegations against, 64

  nuclear button, Trump’s Tweet about, 300–301

  Obama’s fears about, 308

  in Pakistan, 94

  promise to modernize U.S. capabilities, 65

  Russia and, 60–61, 132

  Obama, Barack

  Afghanistan War under, 116, 117–18, 120, 122, 127, 128, 222, 255, 260, 316

  Brennan and, 183

  Charlottesville and, 239, 243

  Hillary Clinton and, 45–46

  on election night, 45–46

  Graham on mess left by, 316

  immigration under, 185, 207, 318

  Iran nuclear deal and, 129, 131

  Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (2009), 95

  North Korea and, 91–98, 103, 105, 177, 301

  nuclear weapon fears of, 308

  Paris Climate Accord and, 189

  presidential election campaign and, 2, 23, 27–28, 44

  Russian campaign meddling/collusion and, 60, 61, 62, 64, 68, 80, 81, 83, 330

  Syria and, 146, 147, 149, 152, 153

  tax reform and, 293

  trade/trade deficit/trade agreements and, 139

  transgender troops and, 201

  in transition pe
riod, 49, 53, 54, 60, 61, 62, 64, 68

  wiretapping Trump Tower, accusations of, 103–4

  Yemen operation considered by, 72

  Obama, Michelle, 64, 68

  Obamacare, 101, 206, 234

  obstruction of justice, 169, 173, 345, 350, 357

  Old Naval Observatory, 82–83

  Olympics (Winter, 2018), South Korea, 308

  100th day in office, 155

  O’Neill, Rob, 243

  Operation Desert Storm, 117

  OPLAN 5015, 184

  OPLAN 5027, 183

  oppositional defiance syndrome, 66

  Osama bin Laden, 108, 116

  Oval Office meetings

  on Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, 310

  Bossert on trade with China, 339

  Cohn disquiet over Charlottesville, 249

  Cohn resignation, 338

  with Chris Crane, 283

  disorder and disruption in, 263–64

  on firing of Comey, 162

  with Graham, 101

  on immigration, 320

  on Iran nuclear deal, 131

  Kelly in, 265–66, 283, 284

  KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, xvii, xx, xxi, 105

  on Libya, 230

  on NAFTA, 155–58

  on North Korea, xvii, xx

  on Paris Climate Accord, 191, 193

  PDB briefs, 27, 110, 300

  privacy in, 265–66

  with Sessions, 216

  on Syria, between Bannon and Trump, 149

  on tariffs, 160, 334

  on tax reform, 290

  Tillerson belittling Stephen Miller in, 133

  Owens, Bill, 73–74

  Owens, Carryn, 74–75

  Owens, William “Ryan,” 73, 74, 75

  Pakistan

  Afghanistan War and, 116, 118, 119, 123–27, 312–13, 314

  Haqqani Network in, 258

  India as counterweight to, 146

  nuclear weapons, 94

  Trump on, 300

  Panetta, Leon, 53

  Papadopoulos, George, 348

  Paris Climate Accord, 189–94

  pass-throughs, 292, 295

  PDB (President’s Daily Brief), 27, 110, 300

  Pence, Mike

  Access Hollywood tape and, 31, 33

  on Afghanistan, 122, 123–24

  on Charlottesville, 240, 250, 251, 253–54

  Flynn lying to, 82, 329

  job numbers and, 175

  on NAFTA, 155, 156

  in presidential campaign, 31, 33, 44

  Russian campaign interference/collusion/Mueller investigation, 81

  Saudi Arabia and, 114

  on tariffs, 277

  on tax reform, 295

  Peninsula Intelligence Estimate (PIE), 183

  Pentagon

  on Afghanistan, 117, 119, 257, 312, 313

  foreign policy, Bannon’s efforts to coordinate, 196

  foreign policy, lunch and Tank meeting on, 218–26

  on North Korea, 94, 106, 177–78, 183–84, 280, 302

  permanent government institutions, power of, 162

  on Russian nuclear capabilities, 60

  Saudis and, 113

  on Syria, 146, 149, 154

  the Tank/Gold Room, 218, 219, 227

  transgender troops, 201–3

  Perdue, Sonny, 157, 158

  perjury traps, in Mueller investigation, 348, 350, 357

  Perry, Rick, 112

  Petraeus, David, 87

  PIE (Peninsula Intelligence Estimate), 183

  Podesta, John, 30, 36

  political correctness, 242

  Politico, 253

  polls, in presidential campaign

  KEY2ACT meeting, straw poll at, 42–43

  Trump’s standing in, 17, 22, 42–43, 45

  views on state of country in, 15

  polygraphs, 64

  Pompeo, Mike, 110, 123, 132, 179, 180, 254, 255, 257–58, 323

  populism and populist movement, 2, 4, 5, 13, 25, 237, 298

  Porter, Rob

  Afghanistan and, 314, 315

  on Charlottesville, 240–44, 247, 252

  on coordination failure in White House, 261–63, 265, 266, 271

  foreign wars strategy and, 229–30

  hiring of, 138–39

  Kelly and, 261–63, 268–69, 284, 285, 286–87

  KORUS, Trump’s desire to terminate, xix–xxii, 233, 264, 265

  McMaster and, 210, 211, 229, 230

  on NAFTA, 155–58

  on Navarro, 277, 278

  North Korea and, 300

  on Paris Climate Accord, 190–91, 193

  presidential schedule and, 230–31

  resignation after domestic abuse allegations, 336

  on “Rocket Man” comment, 281

  Russian election interference/collusion/Mueller investigation and, 165, 166, 174, 268–69, 270, 271

  on Sessions recusal, 176, 216

  on tariffs, 159, 160–61, 175, 206, 266–67, 273, 334–36

  Tillerson and, 211, 212

  on trade/trade agreements/trade deficit, 140, 141–42, 143, 276

  Trump’s relationship with, 138–39, 204–5, 271

  Porter, Roger, 138

  U.S.S Porter, 150

  Portman, Rob, 293

  Powell, Dina, 150, 210

  presidential election campaign. See also polls, in presidential campaign; Russian election interference

  acceptance of Republican nomination, 8

  Access Hollywood tape, 29–37, 39, 43

  Bannon takeover of, 8–16, 19–24

  Conway as campaign manager, 16–18, 24–25

  debate preparation, 13

  debate strategy, 26

  debates, 35, 37, 38–40, 41

  election night, 45–47

  final ten days, 43–45

  financing of, 40–42

  headquarters of, 19–20

  “the hidden Trump voter,” 24–25

  Kushner’s role in, 40

  meeting between Manafort and Bannon, 20–22

  preliminary inquiries about (2010), 1–7

  public track record of Trump and, 2–5

  rallies during, 9, 11, 17, 31, 33, 35, 43, 45, 100, 213

  speech announcing candidacy (2015), 11

  strategy for, 25–26, 43–45

  Presidential Records Act, 262

  President’s Daily Brief (PDB), 27, 110, 300

  press. See media

  Priebus, Reince

  on Afghanistan, 120, 126

  Bannon and, 48, 144, 145, 236–37

  as chief of staff, 48, 144, 211

  on disorder and disruption in White House, 261

  firing of Comey and, 162, 163–64, 165

  foreign policy, Pentagon lunch and Tank meeting on, 218–26

  on Iran nuclear deal, 129–30, 131, 132–33

  Kushner and Ivanka Trump, problems with, 144–45, 186, 189–90, 194–95, 217–18, 237

  on Mattis, 227–28

  McMaster and, 145–46

  on NATO, 76, 77, 78

  on North Korea, 100, 101, 102–3, 186

  on Paris Climate Accord, 189–90, 192

  in presidential election campaign, 10–12, 22–23, 25, 31–33, 36, 46

  resignation of, 234–37

  on Russian election interference, collusion, and Mueller investigation, 80–82, 83–85, 198, 329, 330, 352

  on Saudi Arabia, 114

  Scaramucci on, 234

  Sessions, Trump attack on, 213–14, 216

  on Syrian air strike, 144–46, 150

  Tillerson and, 211–12, 227–28, 287–88

  on trade/trade agreements/trade deficit, 138, 141–42, 143

  on transgender troops, 201–2

  in transition period, 55, 60, 68

  Trump’s opinion of, 204–5

  Trump’s relationship with, 235–36, 287–88

  Twitter, efforts to control Trump’s use of, 204–6

  on White House staff,
236–37

  Prince, Erik, 122

  Pruitt, Scott, 190–91, 192

  pushing back/fighting, Trump’s belief in, 166, 174, 175, 176

  Putin, Vladimir, 29, 47, 54, 60–61, 67, 77, 81, 147, 174, 325, 330

  al Qaeda, 51, 72–75, 108, 112, 116, 256, 257

  Qatar, 114, 210

  Quarles, James “Jim,” 171, 199–200, 325, 327, 330, 333, 343, 347, 349

  racial divide, Trump presidency viewed as rekindling, 252, 253. See also Charlottesville

  Raddatz, Martha, 40, 342

  Rajaratnam, Raj, 355

  rallies

  at Charlottesville, 240, 245 (See also Charlottesville)

  in presidential election campaign, 9, 11, 17, 31, 33, 35, 43, 45, 100, 213

  during Trump presidency, 134, 271, 355

  Trump’s fondness for, 271

  White House operations compared to, 231

  RAND Corporation, 201

  rare earth, 309

  Reagan, Ronald, 181, 243, 267, 291, 352

  Red Room (White House residence), 76

  Renaissance Technologies, 10

  Republican National Committee (RNC), 9, 10–11, 23–25, 31, 46–47, 218

  Republican National Convention, 60

  Republicans. See also individual Republicans by name

  Bannon on, 298

  on Charlottesville, 239, 248, 253

  in Gang of Eight, 29, 62

  Graham on bipartisanship, 103

  Graham on state of Congressional majority, 101

  immigration and, 267

  momentum in 2010, 1

  New York Times Republican sources on Trump, 8–9

  presidential primaries, how to win, 2–6

  Priebus and, 234

  Sessions defended by, 215–16

  tariffs and, 233

  tax reform and, 267, 287, 290, 291, 292, 294

  on Trump Tweets, 206

  Trump winning presidential nomination for, 8, 9, 17

  Trump’s relationship to, 17, 22, 24, 25, 26, 33, 41, 103, 298

  residences, presidential

  Camp David, 146, 254

  Mar-a-Lago, 86, 88, 150, 151, 205, 299

  White House, 20, 31, 76, 148, 195, 201, 230, 242, 243, 266, 272, 328, 345

  Resolute Desk, Oval Office, xvii, xviii, 101, 160, 165, 208, 262, 338

  Reuters, 95, 106, 325

  Ri Chun-hee, 91–92

  Ri Su-yong, 301

  Rice, Condoleezza (Condi), 31, 185

  Rice, Susan, 122

  Richardson, John, 246

  RNC (Republican National Committee), 9, 10–11, 23–25, 31, 46–47, 218

  “Rocket Man”/“Little Rocket Man,” 280, 281, 282

  ROCKSTARS, 182

  Roe v. Wade, 25

  Rogers, Mike, 62, 180

  Romney, Mitt, 17, 42, 239–40, 293

  Roosevelt Room meetings, 124, 142, 156, 285

  Rose, Pete, 168

  Rose Garden (White House), 194

  Rosenstein, Rod, 163, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 174, 215, 349, 350

  Ross, Wilbur, 140, 141, 143, 155–57, 159–61, 233, 265, 266, 274, 310–11, 334, 336–37

 

‹ Prev