Epstein Secrets

hat's consistent with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus's statement last week that the sit-down was a "no

onsistent with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus's statement last week that the sit-down was a "no

irt on Hillary Clinton. He said the meeting was one that "everybody" in politics would have held. That's consistent with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus's statement last week that the sit-down was a "nothing burger." If that's true, why didn't the White House reveal the meeting months ago? Why did Don

s. But does anyone really believe that? Does anyone seriously believe that the June 2016 meeting with Trump Jr., Kushner, and then- campaign manager Paul Manafort was the only time that Trump aides ever spoke to Russian officials about the campaign? And does anyone truly believe that somehow Trump himself was

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

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

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

e discovery of damning Page 17280 EFTA00046791 emails about the meeting his son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign chairman Paul Manafort took with a Russian emissary at Trump Tower in June 2016. "Throughout Hicks' conversations with Trump, it was clear to her that Trump did not thin

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

president's reaction to the discovery of damning emails about the meeting his son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign chairman Paul Manafort took with a Russian emissary at Trump Tower in June 2016. "Throughout Hicks' conversations with Trump, it was clear to her that Trump did not think

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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