Epstein Secrets

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

d reached several levels into the Trump circle. Among those who were indicted or who had pled guilty to felonies were his former campaign man- ager Paul Manafort, his former national security advisor Michael Flynn, the eager-beaver junior adviser George Papadopoulos, and Manafort's business partner and campa

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

fforts "15541 The links between Trump associates and Russian officials were widely reported by the press.[55515561 One of Trump's campaign managers, Paul Manafort, worked from December 2004 to February 2010 to ..help pro-Russian politician Viktor Yanukovych win the Ukrainian presidency Other Trump associates,

with, among others, former Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., a transition team member. • On Jan. 12, 2017, after the Trump Tower interview, Calk wrote to Mattis' assistant to follow up on his request for a meeting with Mattis. "I know that Anthony Scaramucci and others will be reaching out on my behalf as w

erate pursuit by Chicago banker Stephen Calk of a top Trump administration job, including pressuring his bank to make $16 million in risky loans to Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager. According to the affidavit, Calk also enlisted Steve Bannon, who at the time was a key Trump stra

with, among others, former Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., a transition team member. • On Jan. 12, 2017, after the Trump Tower interview, Calk wrote to Mattis' assistant to follow up on his request for a meeting with Mattis. "I know that Anthony Scaramucci and others will be reaching out on my behalf as w

erate pursuit by Chicago banker Stephen Calk of a top Trump administration job, including pressuring his bank to make $16 million in risky loans to Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager. According to the affidavit, Calk also enlisted Steve Bannon, who at the time was a key Trump stra

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

lensky's predecessor at least twice in 2017 as Ukraine's former chief prosecutor Yuri Lutsenko transferred an investigation into secret payments to Paul Manafort, effectively stalling it, and the U.S. released the sale of Jaevelin missiles to Ukraine. "Let's see: a White House meeting and weapons ... for fa

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

lensky's predecessor at least twice in 2017 as Ukraine's former chief prosecutor Yuri Lutsenko transferred an investigation into secret payments to Paul Manafort, effectively stalling it, and the U.S. released the sale of Jaevelin missiles to Ukraine. "Let's see: a White House meeting and weapons ... for fav

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

ould say. “All our guys are terrible, nobody knows what they’re doing... . Wish Corey was back.” Trump quickly soured on his second campaign manager, Paul Manafort, as well. By August, trailing Clinton by 12 to 17 points and facing a daily firestorm of eviscerating press, Trump couldn’t conjure even a far-fetch

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

egated to find a crime would find one—likely many. Everybody became a potential agent of implicating others. Dominos would fall. Targets would flip. Paul Manafort, making a good living in international financial gray areas, his risk calculation based on the long-shot odds that an under-the-radar privateer would

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

would be gone. All this was part of the background to one of the most preposterous meetings in modern politics. On June 9, 2016, Don Jr., Jared, and Paul Manafort met with a movieworthy cast of dubious characters in Trump Tower after having been promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Don Jr., enco

had reached several levels into the Trump circle. Among those who were indicted or who had pled guilty to felonies were his former campaign man- ager Paul Manafort, his former national security advisor Michael Flynn, the eager-beaver junior adviser George Papadopoulos, and Manafort's business partner and campaig

is 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 after each