Fear: Trump in the White House

Later that afternoon Trump tweeted: View Trump’s tweet at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/820723387995717632.

CHAPTER 9

The information in this chapter comes primarily from multiple deep background interviews with firsthand sources.

A lot went wrong: For some of the best public accounts of this event, see Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger, “Raid in Yemen: Risky from the Start and Costly in the End,” The New York Times, February 1, 2017; and Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Missy Ryan, “In Deadly Yemen Raid, a Lesson for Trump’s National Security Team,” The Washington Post, January 31, 2017.

Owens’s father, Bill Owens: Julie K. Brown, “Slain SEAL’s Dad Wants Answers: ‘Don’t Hide Behind My Son’s Death,’ ” Miami Herald, February 26, 2017.

He later also said: Ibid.

“I can understand people saying”: Nolan D. McCaskill, “Trump Deflects Responsibility on Yemen Raid: ‘They Lost Ryan,’ ” Politico, February 28, 2017.

In an interview on Fox: Ibid.

To the congressional audience: Donald J. Trump, “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress,” February 28, 2017. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=123408.

As a private citizen Mattis: Carla Marinucci, “Ex-Military Leaders at Hoover Institution Say Trump Statements Threaten America’s Interests,” Politico, July 15, 2016.

Senator John McCain, displaying

: Emma Loop, “John McCain Says the Recent Yemen Raid Was a ‘Failure,’ ” BuzzFeed News, February 7, 2017.

Under the Brexit referendum: Great Britain’s Brexit referendum was held on June 23, 2016.

In his speech in Munich: “Intervention by Secretary of Defense Mattis, Session One of the North Atlantic Council,” NATO Defense Ministerial, February 15, 2017.

Nonetheless he said: “U.S. Defense Chief Says NATO Is ‘Fundamental Bedrock,’ ” Reuters, February 15, 2017.

At a news conference: Donald J. Trump, “The President’s News Conference with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” April 12, 2017. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=123739.

When Trump met the European leaders: Donald J. Trump, “Remarks at the Dedication Ceremony for the Berlin Wall Memorial and the 9/11 and Article 5 Memorial in Brussels, Belgium,” May 25, 2017. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=125840.

CHAPTER 10

The information in this chapter comes primarily from multiple deep background interviews with firsthand sources.

What the hell! Priebus thought: Greg Miller, Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima, “National Security Adviser Flynn Discussed Sanctions with Russian Ambassador, Despite Denials, Officials Say,” The Washington Post, February 9, 2017.

The Post story, carrying the bylines: Ibid.

According to a six-page internal: Author obtained document.

President-elect Trump praised Putin: View Trump’s tweet at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/814919370711461890.

Flynn’s resignation was announced: Greg Miller and Philip Rucker, “Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser,” The Washington Post

, February 14, 2017.

His statement said, “I accept”: Carol D. Leonnig, Adam Entous, Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky, “Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI on Contacts with Russian Ambassador,” The Washington Post, December 1, 2017.

Trump had raised hell about McCabe’s wife: D’Angelo Gore, “Clinton’s Connection to FBI Official,” FactCheck.org, October 25, 2016.

She had received $675,288: Ibid.; see also D’Angelo Gore, “Trump Wrong About Campaign Donations,” FactCheck.org, July 26, 2017.

He had not let go of the issue: View Trump’s tweets at: https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/889792764363276288; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/890207082926022656; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/890208319566229504.

“You know this story in The New York Times?”: Michael S. Schmidt, Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo, “Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts with Russian Intelligence,” The New York Times, February 14, 2017.