Fear: Trump in the White House

by Bob Woodward

“I love that. That’s what I am,” Trump said, “a popularist.” He mangled the word. “No, no,” Bannon said. “It’s populist.” “Yeah, yeah,” Trump insisted. “A popularist.”

Check out this quote.

The first act of the Bannon drama is his appearance—the old military field jacket over multiple tennis polo shirts. The second act is his demeanor—aggressive, certain and loud.

Bannon

Bannon, who regularly called himself “a fire-breathing populist,” was disgusted. Manafort was dressed in what could pass for yachting attire, with a kerchief. Live from Southampton!

Steve and Paul.

Bannon read, “Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort” from the pro-Russian political party. “Twelve million fucking dollars in cash out of the Ukraine!” Bannon virtually shouted. “What?” Mrs. Manafort said, bolting upright. “Nothing, honey,” Manafort said. “Nothing.”

Oops.

Signs of Russian “reconnoitering,” or digital intrusions as the National Security Agency called them, first appeared in local and state electoral boards’ computerized voter registration rolls—lists of voters’ names and addresses—in the summer of 2015. They first showed up in Illinois, then spread across the country to include 21 states.

Russian interference appears.

Clapper, Johnson and the Clinton campaign expected this to be the big news of the weekend, as did the reporters who began working on the story. But one hour later, at 4:05 p.m., David Fahrenthold at The Washington Post released a story headlined, “Trump Recorded Having Extremely Lewd Conversation About Women in 2005.” The Post released an audio outtake recording from the NBC show Access Hollywood of Trump bragging crudely about his sexual prowess. He said he could grope and kiss women at will. “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump said. “You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy.” The Access Hollywood tape was a political earthquake. The Russia story essentially disappeared.

Derailed by the news cycle.

Money questions ignited Trump. When he learned that Christie, who would be the head of his transition team, was raising money for the operation, he summoned him and Bannon to Trump Tower. “Where the fuck is the money?” Trump asked Christie. “I need money for my campaign. I’m putting money in my campaign, and you’re fucking stealing from me.” He saw it all as his. Christie defended his efforts. This was for the required transition organization in case Trump won.

Money.

“Now it’s time for Americans to bind the wounds of division,” he said in remarks right out of a good-government playbook. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans. “As I’ve said from the beginning, ours was not a campaign, but rather an incredible and great movement . . . comprised of Americans from all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs. “We must reclaim our country’s destiny and dream big and bold and daring. “We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.”

Broken promises...

As a colonel, Mattis had taken the Marines into Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Navy captain, and SEAL for 17 years, Bob Harward had led the SEALs in. “Hey, want to go together?” Mattis had asked Harward in 2001. In the dozen years that followed, Harward had major assignments under Mattis. In the summer of 2013, now a vice admiral, Harward was sent to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida to become deputy central commander to Mattis. He checked into the BOQ, Bachelor Officer Quarters, worked a day, and went back to his room. All his belongings had been moved out. He was told everything had been moved to General Mattis’s house. Harward went over to the house. He walked into the kitchen and found General Mattis there, folding Harward’s underwear. “Sir,” Harward said, “what the fuck are you doing?” “I did my laundry,” Mattis said. “I figured I’d do yours too.” Harward found Mattis the most gracious, humble officer he had ever served under. Rather than introduce Harward as “my deputy,” Mattis said, “I want you to meet my co-commander.” When Harward retired and moved to the Middle East as the chief executive of Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates, he kept in touch with Mattis. Mattis worried about the effects of the Obama administration’s failure to deter Iran. But “if you know Jim Mattis,” Harward said, “he’s not a fan of going to war.”

Mattis.

The meeting with Trump did not go well. McMaster talked too much and the interview was short. Bannon, who sat in on it, later reported, “McMaster ran his fucking mouth for all of 20 minutes giving his theories of the world. A fucking Petraeus book guy.” In 2007, McMaster had been part of a “Baghdad brains trust” advising General David Petraeus on the Iraq War. After McMaster left, Trump asked, “Who was that guy? He wrote a book didn’t he? It said bad things about people. I thought you told me he was in the Army.” “He is in the Army.” “He’s dressed like a beer salesman,” the president said. Bannon, noted for his terrible wardrobe, agreed. He thought McMaster’s suit looked like it cost only $200, or maybe only $100.

McMaster.

Next to be interviewed was John Bolton, a far-right former U.N. ambassador. He was a summa cum laude graduate from Yale who supported the Iraq War and promoted regime change in Iran and North Korea. He was a regular on Fox News—he reported an income of $567,000 in 2017, just from Fox. His answers were fine, but Trump did not like his big, bushy mustache. He didn’t look the part.

Bolton.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who was a commander in the Naval Reserves, tried several times to persuade Mattis to appear on Sunday talk shows on behalf of the administration. The answer was always no. “Sean,” Mattis finally said, “I’ve killed people for a living. If you call me again, I’m going to fucking send you to Afghanistan. Are we clear?”

Check out this quote.

Goldman Sachs, to Cohn, had always been about research, data and fact. Anytime you went into a meeting, you should have more hard, documented information than anyone else in the room.

Current news about GS does not bear this statement out.

Several times Cohn just asked the president, “Why do you have these views?” “I just do,” Trump replied. “I’ve had these views for 30 years.” “That doesn’t mean they’re right,” Cohn said. “I had the view for 15 years I could play professional football. It doesn’t mean I was right.”

Heh.