Epstein Secrets

favor. Give me your a card. Don't ask me why, just give it to me. You'll be thanking me for rest of your life:" Bannon opened his wallet and gave Priebus his American ExI card. Priebus shortly returned, handed the card back, and said, "You have legal insurance Over the next year, Bannon—a witness of

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-fall, Trump was circumventi

his own staff. This first phase of the most abnor- mal White House in American history ended in August 2017. with the departure of chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and the appointment of retired general John Kelly as chief of staff. This new account begins in February 2018 at the outset of Trump's second year

nd, attorney, and tough-guy mentor, and Robert Kennedy. John F. Kennedy's brother. "He was always on my ass about Roy Cohn and Bobby Kennedy," said Steve Bannon, the political strategist who, perhaps more than anyone else, was responsible for Trump's victory. "'Roy Cohn and Bobby Kennedy; he would say. 'Whe

e and said, "going to do you a big favor. Give me your a card. Don't ask me why, just give it to me. You'll be thanking me for rest of your life:" Bannon opened his wallet and gave Priebus his American ExI card. Priebus shortly returned, handed the card back, and said, "You have legal insurance Over

it off: it was Reince Priebus’s fault, not hers. She had spent a good part of the day calling friends and allies in the political world and blaming Priebus. Now she briefed some of the television producers and anchors with whom she’d built strong relationships—and with whom, actively interviewing in the

ce director and then finance director of the Republican National Committee, and finally, pre-White House, chief of staff of the RNC and its chairman, Reince Priebus. In retrospect, the key moment in saving the Trump campaign might be less the Mercer- led takeover and imposition of Bannon and Conway in mid-August

rown.co.uk HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019877 For Victoria and Louise, mother and daughter HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019878 CONTENTS AUTHOR’S NOTE PROLOGUE: AILES AND BANNON 1. ELECTION DAY 2. TRUMP TOWER 3. DAY ONE 4. BANNON 5. JARVANKA 6. AT HOME 7. RUSSIA 8. ORG CHART 9. CPAC 10. GOLDMAN 11. WIRETAP 12. REPEAL AND REPL

act of Trump’s presidency only with the appointment of retired general John Kelly as the chief of staff in late July and the exit of chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon three weeks later. The events I’ve described in these pages are based on conversations that took place over a period of eighteen months with the pre

Capitol Hill in a row house known as the Breitbart Embassy that doubled as the Breitbart office—the life of a messy party. No sane person would hire Steven Bannon for a job that included making the trains run on time. OOK Ok Hence, Reince Priebus. For the Hill, he was the only reasonable chief among the cont

ive. As well, he could turn him off, and Bannon would be tactically quiet until turned on again. Kushner had neither Bannon’s policy imagination nor Priebus’s institutional ties. But, of course, he had family status, carrying its own high authority. In addition, he had billionaire status. He had cultivate

e president left the West Wing for Marine One, which was soon en route to Andrews Air Force Base. Accompanying him were Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Reince Priebus, Hope Hicks, and Kellyanne Conway. Vice President Pence and his wife joined the group at Andrews for the brief flight on Air Force One to Harrisburg,

any moment, and it pleased him that Bannon’s pronouncements and views would consistently be fully formed and ever available, a bracing, unified-field narrative. As well, he could turn him off,

his White House, it was Steve Bannon. Maligning Bannon was Trump’s idea of fun. When it came to Bannon, Trump rose to something like high analysis: “Steve Bannon’s problem is PR. He doesn’t understand it. Everybody hates him. Because ... look at him. His bad PR rubs off on other people.” The real question, of c

Wing, along with State Department and National Security staff, was on board for the trip: Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Reince Priebus, Stephen Bannon, Gary Cohn, Dina Powell, Hope Hicks, Sean Spicer, Stephen Miller, Joe Hagin, Rex Tillerson, and Michael Anton. Also included were Sarah Huckabee Sand

to tell him that then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus knew about the emails. There are four redacted p

l him that then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus knew about the emails. There are four redacted p

ris Kobach and ex-White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon — to build border fencing on private land using

ad already chosen. ... Fisher has worked with some Trump allies — including former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach and ex-White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon — to build border fencing on private land using private donations. ... Trump has pledged to complete 450 to 500 miles of new border barriers by the

to tell him that then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus knew about the emails. There are four redacted p

him that then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus knew about the emails. There are four redacted p

ad already chosen. ... Fisher has worked with some Trump allies — including former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach and ex-White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon — to build border fencing on private land using private donations. ... Trump has pledged to complete 450 to 500 miles of new border barriers by the

ris Kobach and ex-White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon — to build border fencing on private land using

egic approach on the part of the president—quite an unlikely development. Meanwhile, the couple blamed everyone else in the White House. They blamed Priebus for the disarray that had produced a warlike atmosphere that propelled constant and damaging leaks, they blamed Bannon for leaking, and they blamed S

in his unquestioned certitudes. There was now a fair amount of back-of-the-classroom giggling about who had called Trump what. For Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, he was an “idiot.” For Gary Cohn, he was “dumb as shit.” For H. R. McMaster he was a “dope.” The list went on. Tillerson would merely become yet an

t whatsoever of actually winning the election—was open to any and all entreaties and offers, because it had nothing to lose. Dopey Don Jr. (Fredo, as Steve Bannon would dub him, in one of his frequent Godfather borrowings) was simply trying to prove he was a player and a go-to guy. ¢ The meeting included the c

ive. “The chance that Don Jr. did not walk these jumos up to his father’s office on the twenty-sixth floor is zero,” said an astonished and derisive Bannon, not long after the meeting was revealed. “The three senior guys in the campaign,” an incredulous Bannon went on, “thought it was a good idea to mee

om] Sent: 9/26/2017 12:23:33 AM To: Darren Indyke Subject: Re: Breaking News: At least six of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts for government business all fun On Mon, Sep 25, 2017 at 8:12 PM, Darren Indyke wrote: Here we go again. DARREN K. IN

[email protected]] Sent: 9/26/2017 12:23:33 AM To: Darren Indyke Subject: Re: Breaking News: At least six of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts for government business all fun On Mon, Sep 25, 2017 at 8:12 PM, Darren Indyke wrote: Here we go a

ix of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts

6/2017 12:12:50 AM Jeffrey Epstein [[email protected]] Fwd: Breaking News: At least six of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts for government business Importance: High Here we go again. DARREN K. INDYKE DARREN K. INDYKE, PLLC 575 Lexington Avenue,

Darren Indyke 9/26/2017 12:12:50 AM Jeffrey Epstein [[email protected]] Fwd: Breaking News: At least six of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts for government business Importance: High Here we go again. DARREN K. INDYKE DARREN K. INDYKE, PLLC 57

ix of President Trump's advisers, including Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, used private email accounts f

icials, calling them incompetent, stupid, or crazy.14391 Trump had four White House chiefs of staff, marginalizing or pushing out severa1. 1 Reince Priebus was replaced after seven months by retired Marine general John F. KellyiSi ely - resigned in December 2018 after a tumultuous tenure in which his in

d Duke, the Ku Klux Klan (KICK) or white supremacists.(193] After a public uproar, he disavowed Duke and the ICKKE'941 In August 2016, he appointed Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of Breitbart News—described by Bannon as "the platform for the alt-right"—as his campaign CEO [- Trump's campaign platform e

public uproar, he disavowed Duke and the ICKKE'941 In August 2016, he appointed Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of Breitbart News—described by Bannon as "the platform for the alt-right"—as his campaign CEO [- Trump's campaign platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.-China relations and free trade ag

n his own staff. This first phase of the most abnor- mal White House in American history ended in August 2017, with the departure of chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and the appointment of retired general John Kelly as chief of staff. This new account begins in February 2018 at the outset of Trumps second year in

eks after the inauguration, and not long SIEGE $ after the FBI had first raised questions about National Security Adv Michael Flynn, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus had walked into Steve I nons office and said, “I'm going to do you a big favor. Give me your ci card. Don't ask me why, just give it to me. You'll be

according to four people familiar with the discussions.” But however many people SIEGE 37 Costa had spoken to about the background machinations of Steve Ban- non, what mattered was that he had spoken directly and at length to Bannon himself, who was using the Washington Post to pitch a plan to the president.

, what mattered was that he had spoken directly and at length to Bannon himself, who was using the Washington Post to pitch a plan to the president. Bannonss three-part plan for Trump instantly made its way to the Oval Office. And the next morning, the president offered Kushner his view that he should fire