Epstein Secrets

s through their confirmation hearings,” he said of the business-and-military 1950s-type cabinet choices. “Tillerson is two days, Session is two days, Mattis is two days... .” Bannon veered from “Mad Dog” Mattis—the retired four-star general whom Trump had nominated as secretary of defense—to a long riff

virtual policy, it has also been more open to the media than any White House in recent memory. In the beginning, I sought a level of formal access to this White House, something of a fly-on- the-wall status. The president himself encouraged this idea. But, given the many fiefdoms in the Trump White House that came

heeding Senate leader Mitch McConnell’s prescription that “this president will sign whatever is put in front of him,” while also taking advantage of the White House’s lack of political and legislative experience and outsourcing as much policy as possible to Capitol Hill. In the early weeks of the administration, P

om he had never met before, for positions whose importance Trump did not particularly understand. Ailes, a veteran of the Nixon, Reagan, and Bush 41 White Houses, was growing worried by the president-elect’s lack of immediate focus on a White House structure that could serve and protect him. He tried to impres

cific ideas about how to turn his themes and vitriol into policy, nor a team that could reasonably unite behind him. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019969 In most White Houses, policy and action flow down, with staff trying to implement what the president wants—or, at the very least, what the chief of staff says the preside

into action to tell the president that American soldiers would not be paid the next day if he didn't sign the bill. This was a repeat performance: Mattis had issued a similar warning during a threatened shutdown in January. "Never. . . never . . . never... again:. Trump shouted, pounding the desk af

n Trump's inner circle. Chief of Staff John Kelly, fed up with Trump—just as Trump was f up with him—seemed surely on the way out. Kelly had joined the Wh House, replacing Reince Priebus, Trump's first chief of staff, in Aug 2017, charged with bringing management discipline to a chaotic W Wing. But by mid-f

mp campaign, arguably among the most careless about election law compliance in recent history. Before joining the Trump administra- tion, McGahn had no White House or executive branch experience. He had never worked in the Justice Department or, in fact, anywhere in gov- ernment. Formerly an attorney for a nonp

fruit salad they wore, the better. The president was very pleased with the compliments he got for appointing generals who commanded the respect that Mattis and Kelly and McMaster were accorded (pay no attention to Michael Flynn). What the president did not like was /istening to generals, who, for the mos

thirty, Ryan called the president to say he was short fifteen to twenty votes and needed to pull the vote. Bannon, backed by Mulvaney, who had become the White House’s Hill operative, continued to urge an immediate vote. A defeat here would be a major defeat for the Republican leadership. That suited Bannon just fin

ore and more seemed to be. Meanwhile, virtually everybody believed that a large measure of the fault lay in Reince Priebus, who had failed to create a White House that could protect the president from himself—or from Bannon or from his own children. At the same time, believing that the fundamental problem lay i

approaching the boiling point. Trump had already authorized the Pentagon to deploy the troop resources it believed were needed, but Defense Secretary Mattis refused to act without a specific authorization from the president. Trump would finally have to make the call—unless he could find a way to put it of

lic enemy; they expected nothing of him. But Priebus and Spicer HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020089 they regarded as functionaries, and their job was to support the White House’s goals, which included their goals and interests. Spicer, ever ridiculed in the media for his cockamamie defense of the White House and a seeming dum

ce his exit from the White House six weeks before—he was on a crash all-sushi diet. “That building,” said his friend David Bossie, speaking about all White Houses but especially the Trump White House, “takes perfectly healthy people and turns them into old, unhealthy people.” But Bannon, who Bossie had declared

as getting European allies to contribute more to NATO, normalizing relations between Israel and Arab countries, and relations with Iran and China. Mattis Calls For End To "American First" Foreign Policies. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.cornrnews/2020/nov/24/james-mattis-calls-end-t

24/politics/trump- biden-pdb-transition/index.html> (11/24, Collins, Cohen, 83.16M) reports that an ODNI official "attributed the change directly to the White House's move to formally grant Biden access to the PDB. CNN previously reported the decision was Trump's and the access to the PDB could have been granted b

as getting European allies to contribute more to NATO, normalizing relations between Israel and Arab countries, and relations with Iran and China. Mattis Calls For End To "American First" Foreign Policies. The Washington Times (11/24, Wolfgang, 492K) reports Trump's former Secretary of Defense James M

, and the delivery of intelligence briefings." CNN (11/24, Collins, Cohen, 83.16M) reports that an ODNI official "attributed the change directly to the White House's move to formally grant Biden access to the PDB. CNN previously reported the decision was Trump's and the access to the PDB could have been granted

on condition of anonymity because of its classified nature. When the exercise had concluded earlier this month, according to the officials, General Mattis told aides that an Israeli first strike would be likely to have dire consequences across the region and for United States forces there. The two-wee

stic political turmoil. I asked Parsi, who is also the president of the National Iranian American Council what five pointers he'd offer if asked by the White House for tips on improving the prospects for successful diplomacy with Iran. Herewith, Parsi's answers: Lesson 1: Don't Allow the Domestic Politics to D

ve won against ISIS," contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria.(393113941 The next day, Mattis resigned in protest, calling his decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s Kurdish allies who played a key role in fighting ISIS.f3951 One week after hi

thereby "creat[ing] the perception of the military involved in domestic politics" (?-221 Trump and group of officials and advisors on the way from White House complex to St. John's Church Immigration Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter and contentious debate during the campaign.

mber when he resigned as secretary of defense to protest Trump ordering U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria, but there are echoes. Both Spencer and Mattis said Trump deserves someone whose views are better aligned with his own. Spencer was ousted over his efforts to resolve a dispute between the Whit

e's office has focused closely on correspondence that could be subject to public records requests, those which involve discussions between staff at the White House and at other agencies. Internal White House records are not subject to federal public records law, but messages that include officials at federal a

ember when he resigned as secretary of defense to protest Trump ordering U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria, but there are echoes. Both Spencer and Mattis said Trump deserves someone whose views are better aligned with his own. Spencer was ousted over his efforts to resolve a dispute between the White

ignation after losing confidence in him. Their explanation is that Esper became "deeply troubled" when he discovered Spencer was backchanneling with the White House to offer a secret deal in which a review board would decide to let Gallagher keep his Trident pin — and affiliation with the SEALs — if Trump didn't