Fear: Trump in the White House

In a Pentagon-commissioned study: Tom Vanden Brook, “Military Tells Transgender Troops They Can Still Serve and Get Medical Treatment Until Further Notice,” USA Today, July 27, 2017. Read more on the study at https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_briefs/RB9900/RB9909/RAND_RB9909.pdf.

“After consultation with my Generals”: View Trump’s tweet at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/890193981585444864.

In two more tweets following: View Trump’s tweets at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/890196164313833472; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/890197095151546369.

The confusion played out: Leo Shane III and Tara Copp, “Trump Says Transgender Troops Can’t Serve in the Military,” MilitaryTimes, July 26, 2017.

Trump spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders,” The White House, July 26, 2017.

Several White House officials: Rachel Bade and Josh Dawsey, “Inside Trump’s Snap Decision to Ban Transgender Troops,”

Politico, July 26, 2017.

The commandant of the Coast Guard: Chris Kenning, “Retired Military Officers Slam Trump’s Proposed Transgender Ban,” Reuters, August 1, 2017.

Dunford sent a letter: Rebecca Kheel, “Joint Chiefs: No Change in Transgender Policy Until Trump Sends Pentagon Direction,” The Hill, July 27, 2017.

The White House later issued: Richard Sisk, “Pentagon Ready to Accept Transgender Recruits Starting Jan. 1,” Military.com, December 30, 2017.

CHAPTER 25

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

Trump had aimed a pair: View Trump’s tweets at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/880408582310776832; https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/880410114456465411.

Following the Mika tweet

: Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman, “Trump Mocks Mika Brzezinski; Says She Was ‘Bleeding Badly from a Face-Lift,’ ” The New York Times, June 29, 2017.

Trump wanted to get out of: Greg Miller, Julie Vitkovskaya and Reuben Fischer-Baum, “ ‘This Deal Will Make Me Look Terrible’: Full Transcripts of Trump’s Calls with Mexico and Australia,” The Washington Post, August 3, 2017.

Trump had said, “It is an evil time”: Ibid.

Scribbling his thoughts: Author obtained document.

CHAPTER 26

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

Just the previous week: Tom Finn, “U.S., Qatar Sign Agreement on Combating Terrorism Financing,” Reuters, July 10, 2017.

In a news conference in Qatar: Ibid.

In his long quest: Author review of contemporaneous notes by a participant.

On Wednesday, July 19, 2017: Peter Baker, Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman, “Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions,” The New York Times, July 19, 2017.

Two days later Trump continued: View Trump’s tweet at https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/889467610332528641.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal: Michael C. Bender, “Trump Won’t Say if He Will Fire Sessions,” The Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2017.

On July 24 Kushner released

: Annie Karni, “Kushner Defends His Russia Contacts: ‘I Did Not Collude,’ ” Politico, July 24, 2017.

Graham said Sessions: Rebecca Savransky, “Graham Defends Sessions: Trump Tweets ‘Highly Inappropriate,’ ” The Hill, July 25, 2017.

Priebus talked the president: Chris Whipple, “ ‘Who Needs a Controversy over the Inauguration?’ Reince Priebus Opens Up About His Six Months of Magical Thinking,” Vanity Fair, March 2018.

CHAPTER 27

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

Priebus called a full senior staff meeting: Author review of contemporaneous notes by a participant.

“They’re all making money,” Trump said: The 2015 nuclear deal had been a bonanza for the European Union countries. EU imports from Iran had grown an astonishing 347 percent in 2016 over the previous year. (Source: Congressional Research Service, October 25, 2017.) One French company had made a $4.7 billion gas deal in Iran. Trump, of course, made the point without the details.