Fear: Trump in the White House

About a week later on February 24: Jim Sciutto, Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz, Manu Raju and Pamela Brown, “FBI Refused White House Request to Knock Down Recent Trump-Russia Stories,” CNN, February 24, 2017.

Four months later on June 8: Michael S. Schmidt, Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo, “Comey Disputes New York Times Article About Russia Investigation,” The New York Times, June 8, 2017.

CHAPTER 11

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

“I just wanted to announce”: Donald J. Trump, “Remarks on the Appointment of Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster (USA) as National Security Adviser in Palm Beach, Florida, and an Exchange with Reporters,” February 20, 2017. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=123396.

CHAPTER 12

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

Dispelling any doubt: Christine Kim, “Voice of Triumph or Doom: North Korean Presenter Back in Limelight for Nuclear Test,” Reuters, September 4, 2017.

The North’s nuclear weapons center: Matt Clinch, “Here’s the Full Statement from North Korea on Nuclear Test,” CNBC, September 9, 2016.

To compound the potential: See the CNS North Korea Missile Test Database, available for download at http://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/cns-north-korea-missile-test-database/.

Former U.S. negotiator Robert Gallucci: Panel discussion on U.S. policy on North Korea at George Washington University, August 28, 2017, Washington, D.C. Video is available at https://www.c-span.org/video/?433122-1/us-policy-north-korea.

Trump had a history of public statements: Rebecca Shabad, “Timeline: What Has Trump Said About North Korea over the Years?” CBS News, August 10, 2017.

In a 2016 campaign speech

: Ibid.

In May of 2016, he told Reuters: Ibid.

As president, in 2017: Ibid.

He condemned the North’s: Barack Obama, “Statement on North Korea’s Nuclear Test,” September 9, 2016. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=118931.

To maximize shock value: Elizabeth Weise, “Sony Pictures Entertainment Hacked,” USA Today, November 24, 2014.

CHAPTER 13

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

Former vice president Joe Biden: Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010), p. 62.

He’d called Trump a “jackass”: Nicholas Fandos, “Lindsey Graham Destroys Cellphone After Donald Trump Discloses His Number,” The New York Times, July 22, 2015.

He endorsed Jeb Bush: Cheri Cheng, “Lindsey Graham Endorses Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush,”News EveryDay, January 15, 2016.

Graham and McCain had released

: “Statement by Senators McCain and Graham on Executive Order on Immigration,” January 29, 2017.

Just days before, on March 5: See the CNS North Korea Missile Test Database, available for download at http://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/cns-north-korea-missile-test-database/.

The week prior, on March 4: View Trump’s tweets at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837989835818287106; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837993273679560704; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837994257566863360; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837996746236182529.

In 2015, Trump had made: Jonathan Martin and Alan Rappeport, “Donald Trump Says John McCain Is No War Hero, Setting Off Another Storm,” The New York Times, July 18, 2015.

During a spring meeting: Adriana Diaz, “U.S. THAAD Missile System a Factor in South Korea’s Presidential Election,” CBS News, May 8, 2017.

Trump later told Reuters: Stephen J. Adler, Jeff Mason and Steve Holland, “Exclusive: Trump Vows to Fix or Scrap South Korean Trade Deal, Wants Missile System Payment,” Reuters, April 27, 2017.

He told Chris Wallace on Fox News: “McMaster Says U.S. Will Pay for THAAD Antimissile System in South Korea,” Fox News, April 30, 2017.

As a first step: “South Korea Trade Ministry Says Ready to Begin Renegotiating U.S. Trade Pact,” Reuters, December 17, 2017.

CHAPTER 14