Fear: Trump in the White House

Trump relayed his conversation with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who had an abysmal human rights record including mass detentions, security forces’ killing protesters and military trials of civilians. “Dowd, remember who I’m talking to,” he said. “The guy’s a fucking killer. This guy’s a fucking killer! I’m getting it done. He’ll make you sweat on the phone. And right before we make the deal, el-Sisi says,” and Trump assumed a deep gravelly voice, “Donald, I’m worried about this investigation. Are you going to be around? Suppose I need a favor, Donald.” It was “like a kick in the nuts. It’s awful,” Trump said.

In November, Kelly called Dowd. “The president said you’re going to see Mueller.”

“Yeah, we’re going to see him in a couple hours.”

“Mattis has told the president that Putin and the Russians are just getting too dangerous, and that we’re going to have to deal with them. And I want you to convey that to Bob. Bob knows Mattis.” Mueller and the secretary of defense had both been Marines.

Dowd described to Mueller how everything Trump did with Russia was suspect. “Bob, I know you know General Mattis.” Mueller had met with Mattis during a visit to Kandahar in January 2002 when he was FBI director. Dowd reported that Mattis was worried about Russia. “And by the way, you want to check it? Pick up the phone and call him. He knows who you are. He knows you’re a Marine.”

Dowd reminded Mueller that he’d said he wouldn’t let grass grow under him. “The grass is about a foot high, pal. We keep defending you with the president.”

Mueller said he was dead serious about finishing the investigation.

“Well, I got to tell you, Bob, I don’t know how long I’m going to last. I defend you guys all the time. I stand up for what you’re doing. But you know, we got people being interviewed over and over again.”

With Mueller, Dowd pushed gently.

With Quarles, he complained. “Enough is enough!”

Dowd had other problems. Ty Cobb started giving interviews to the media saying that the investigation would be over by the end of 2017. “I’d be embarrassed if this is still haunting the White House by Thanksgiving,” he told Reuters, “and worse if it’s still haunting him by year end.” The media ran stories with Cobb’s picture. Dowd now thought Cobb looked like an old Western sheriff with a handlebar mustache out of the Western novel and miniseries Lonesome Dove and he was astonished. He was the lead lawyer for the president. Was Cobb having separate conversations with Quarles?

No, Cobb insisted. “My wife wants me out of this,” he said. “And so I’ve been trying to nudge it along publicly.”

“There’s interviews scheduled in December,” Dowd said. “And frankly, they’re all favorable to the president so we’re going to let them go.”

Kelly asked Dowd, “Where’d you find this fucking friend Ty?” Cobb had started off on the wrong foot with Kelly, going behind the chief of staff’s back to the president to get an office in the West Wing. He told Cobb, “Don’t you ever go behind my fucking back again.”

Dowd assured the president that their strategy of dealing with Mueller was “to cooperate and grind them down until we had a 3D picture of what was in their heads.” Based on this picture and the cooperation of 37 witnesses and all the documents turned over, he repeated several times, “I don’t see a case.”

Under Article II of the Constitution, Dowd explained to him, the president solely ran the executive branch. And all of his actions, particularly pertaining to Comey, were within those powers. “I will never tell you that your instincts are wrong about these guys and what they’re up to. We’ve been treated very nicely. But we treated them very nicely.”

In December a story ran in the German financial daily Handelsblatt saying the Mueller investigation had subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank, the largest in Germany, and the primary lender to Trump.

The president called Dowd at 7 a.m. He was furious.

“I know my relationships with Deutsche Bank,” he said. He maintained the bank loved him and always got paid. “I know what I borrowed, when I borrowed, when I paid it back. I know every goddamn one.” He could recall whom he had dealt with and other details with specificity. “I’m telling you, this is bullshit!”

Dowd pushed Quarles. “Hey, Jim, there’s no secrets here. This is bullshit.”

A conference call was scheduled with lawyers from all the relevant law firms. Everyone sounded like they were talking in code.

“Look, would you please,” Dowd said. “My guy does not talk in code.”

Finally Quarles reported, “There’s nothing there. We had subpoenas to Deutsche Bank way back in the summertime, but it doesn’t involve the president or his finances.”

At 10 a.m. on December 21, Dowd went to see Mueller in an attempt to turn the tables. Often the best defense was to go on the offense.