American Democracy on Trial: The Election of Donald Trump—an Overview

Abstract

In this essay I use the "Poison Kitchen," Hitler's name for the intrepid reporters of the Munich Post who exposed all his flaws before he destroyed them, as a metaphor for the role of the press in a time of crisis. I then look at the many character flaws of Donald Trump, discuss why people voted for him, and finally explore how "the Comey Effect" and the Putin Connection influenced the outcome of the election. In sum, this is a very timely essay.

Full text

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William"Heath:""American"Democracy"on"Trial:"The"Election"of"Donald"Trump—an"Overview"""
"!!!!!!!!The!day!I!realized!it!can!be!smart!to!be!shallow!was,!for!me,!a!deep!experience."–Donald"Trump1"
"1:"The"Poison"Kitchen,"a"Free"Press,"and"Donald"Trump’s"character""
"Ever"since"I"read"Ron"Rosenbaum’s"Explaining!Hitler,"I!have"been"haunted"by"his"chapter"
on"“The"Poison"Kitchen,”"Hitler’s"term"for"the"Munich!Post,"whose"intrepid"journalists"warned"
about"the"future"dictator"in"the"early"1920s.""“They"were"the"first"to"tangle"with"him,"the"first"to"
ridicule"him,"the"first"to"investigate"him,"the"first"to"expose"the"seamy"underside"of"his"party…."
They"were"the"first"to"alert"the"world"to"the"nature"of"the"rough"beast"slouching"toward"
Berlin.”2"""As"many"a"demagogue,"Hitler"was"thin-skinned,"quick"to"take"offense,"and"relentless"
in"seeking"revenge.""From"the"start"the"Munich!Post"reporters"were"subjected"to"legal"suits"and"
lethal"threats.""Reactionary"Bavarian"courts"often"ruled"for"libel"in"Hitler’s"favor,"while"his"thugs"
killed"his"opponents.""Although"the"notorious"Beer"Hall"Putsch"in"November"of"1923"failed,"
Hitler’s"henchmen"destroyed"the"offices"of"the"Munich!Post.""When"Hitler"was"released"from"
prison"a"few"years"later,"their"investigative"reporters"were"back"on"his"case." " "
"The"Munich!Post"was"not"the"only"newspaper"in"Germany"to"sound"the"alarm"about"the"
danger"of"Hitler,"but"its"coverage"was"the"most"consistent"and"complete.""Post"reporters"
described"his"unstable"personality,"sexual"proclivities,"twisted"ideology,"unsavory"followers,"
“disgusting"hypocrisy,”"and"dictatorial"designs.""They"raised"disturbing"questions"about"his"
obsessive"relationship"with"his"half-niece"Geli"Raubal,"who"apparently"shot"herself"with"Hitler’s"
pistol,"and"wrote"stories"about"the"people"murdered"by"his"party’s"secret"death"squads.""They"
also"exposed"Hitler’s"proposed"“final"solution,”"a"euphemistically"described"plan"“to"use"the"
Jews"in"Germany"for"slave"labor"or"for"the"cultivation"of"the"German"swamps"administered"by"a"
special"SS"division.”3""Their"insights"into"his"personality,"long"ignored"by"historians,"were"

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prescient.""They"noted"his"propensity"for"counterfeiting,"blackmail,"and"extortion"to"intimidate"
people"into"doing"his"bidding.""If"he"didn’t"have"real"“dirt”"on"his"opponents,"false"accusations"
would"do.""His"biggest"fabrication"was"the"stab-in-the-back"myth"that"Germany"had"lost"World"
War"I"because"of"craven"politicians.""Eliminate"them,"and"Germany"would"again"be"great.""As"we"
know"from"hindsight,"for"years"the"Munich!Post"reporters"made"an"overwhelmingly"convincing"
case"that"Hitler"should"be"repudiated,"not"elected.""“They"always"seemed"to"be"one"more"story,"
one"more"exposé"away"from"scotching"the"serpent,”4"Rosenbaum"notes;"yet"in"1933"Hitler"
received"a"plurality"of"the"vote"and"promptly"used"fake"provocations,"dire"threats,"and"strong-
arm"intimidation"to"gain"dictatorial"powers.""" " " " " " "
" On"March"9,"1933,"the"offices"of"the"Munich!Post"were"once"again"destroyed"by"an"SA"
squad"and"the"reporters"were"all"sent"to"die"in"concentration"camps."" " " "
Donald"Trump"is"quite"capable"of"sending"resident"Muslims,"illegal"immigrants,"and"
other"“undesirables”"to"internment"camps,"but"it"is"not"my"intention"to"make"facile"and"
inappropriate"comparisons"with"the"Holocaust.""Rather"my"concern"is"with"the"threat"Trump"
represents"to"American"democracy"and"the"world"order.""What"role"did"Putin"play"in"his"
troubling"victory,"how"well"(or"badly)"did"the"news"media"respond"to"the"unfolding"situation,"
and"how"much"damage"is"now"being"done"to"our"integrity"as"individuals"and"as"a"nation?""My"
intention"is"to"present"a"series"of"topic"topics"of"importance,"combining"my"own"thoughts"with"
those"of"many"capable"journalists,"in"what"I"hope"is"a"coherent"and"convincing"narrative.""
" When"the"primaries"began,"I"worried"that"the"Democrats"had"no"Plan"B.""Hillary"Clinton"
brought"a"lot"of"baggage"into"the"fray—she"had"been"demonized"by"her"opponents"for"twenty-
five"years—and"she"was"bound"to"stumble,"as"she"did.""Since"Joe"Biden’s"son"had"recently"died,"

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he"was"in"no"mood"to"run"without"a"clearer"path"of"victory.""He"didn’t"want"to"play"the"
spoilsport"who"foiled"our"best"chance"to"elect"the"first"female"president.""Bernie"Sanders"
admirably"energized"the"millennials,"and"his"attacks"on"the"super-wealthy"were"on"target;"but"
giving"the"rich"a"well-deserved"soaking"seemed"to"be"his"only"theme.""He"showed"scant"interest"
in"foreign"policy"and"didn’t"do"enough"to"support"a"Democratic"Party"that"desperately"needed"
to"gain"control"of"the"Senate.""If"Sanders"were"nominated,"I"feared"what"would"happen"when"
the"Republicans"concentrated"all"their"devastating"firepower"on"an"aging"Jewish"socialist"from"
Vermont"promising"a"“revolution.”""During"the"campaign,"I"felt"that"Hillary"was"devoting"a"lot"of"
attention"to"middle-class"woman"and"child"welfare"issues,"while"directing"disgruntled"men"
seeking"employment"or"better-paying"jobs"to"consult"her"website.""In"retrospect,"I"now"think"
Biden,"and"maybe"even"Sanders,"could"have"won.""They"would"have"had"more"appeal"to"the"
white"working"class"men"of"the"Midwest"who"ultimately"gave"Trump"his"margin"of"victory."
" From"the"day"Trump"declared"his"candidacy"with"a"rant"on"Mexican"rapists,"thus"
blatantly"demonstrating"his"unfitness"for"the"presidency,"it"was"apparent"that"a"segment"of"the"
population"could"not"resist"his"sleazy"charm.""Although"he"spoke"almost"exclusively"in"
hyperbole—often"outrageous"exaggerations"without"a"shred"of"truth—many"seemed"to"think"
he"was"“telling"it"like"it"is,”"which"suggests"how"tenuous"their"understanding"of"what"“is”"is"
actually"like.""What"they"did"know"was"that"their"personal"situation"was"bad,"and"here"was"a"
man"who"promised"to"make"everything"“great”"again.""Trump’s"campaign"was"reminiscent"of"
the"revivals"that"periodically"sweep"across"the"heartland,"promising"pie"in"the"sky"to"all"true"
believers—regardless"of"the"evidence.""Irrational"emotion,"not"rational"analysis,"was"the"
keynote.""Too"much"of"the"electorate"was"impervious"to"accurate"information"and"disdained"

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“elite”"opinions.""Almost"every"major"newspaper"in"the"country,"including"several"that"had"
never"before"backed"a"Democrat,"endorsed"Clinton—and"it"made"no"difference.""Nowadays,"
only"20%"of"the"population"read"newspapers"of"varying"quality,"less"than"10%"trust"them,"while"
about"50%"rely"on"Facebook"for"political"advice.""Many"prominent"Republicans,"including"past"
presidents,"presidential"contenders,"and"foreign"policy"experts,"denounced"Trump—and"it"
made"no"difference.""Trump"lied"nine"times"more"than"Clinton—and"it"made"no"difference.""He"
made"impossible"promises"(Mexico,"for"example,"had"no"intention"of"paying"for"his"wall)"while"
she"outlined"specific"plans"to"change"the"country"for"the"better—and"it"made"no"difference.""
Hillary"won"all"three"of"the"debates—and"it"made"no"difference.""Whatever"her"shortcomings,"
and"they"were"many,"she"was"clearly"the"better"qualified"candidate,"but"when"the"electorate"
rolled"the"dice"they"came"up"snake"eyes.""Although"Clinton"received"2.8"million"more"votes,"
Trump"won"the"Electoral"College"and"thus"a"dangerous"demagogue"became"our"president."""
" How"did"this"happen"and"where"do"we"go"from"here?"
The"most"obvious"sign"of"Trump’s"troubling"character"is"his"insatiable"ego.""He"only"sings"
in"the"key"of"me.""His"addiction"to"adulation"is"omnipresent.""“Everywhere"Donald"Trump"turns,"
he"sees"Donald"Trump,”"Mark"Singer"noted.""“He"doesn’t"see"the"other"guy"much.”5""He"appears"
to"be"compulsively"self-obsessed.""In"Freudian"terms,"he"is"still"a"child"who"sees"himself"as"the"
center"of"the"world,"an"overgrown"toddler"intent"on"sucking"his"thumb.""In"this"sense"he"is"the"
poster"child"for"our"selfie-centered"culture.""“Serious"medical"professionals,”"Elizabeth"Drew"
wrote,"“suspect"he"has"a"narcissistic"personality"disorder”"and"are"concerned"about"his"mental"
ability"and"stability.6""Many"psychiatrists"feel"“a"duty"to"warn”"the"public"that"Trump"is"“deluded"
and"compulsive"[and]"has"no"conscience,”"but"they"are"constrained"by"“the"Goldwater"rule”"not"

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to"comment"on"public"figures"they"have"not"personally"examined.7""When"he"first"took"office,"
his"ostentatious"public"signings"of"executive"orders"replacing"those"of"his"predecessor"were"not"
intended"to"improve"government"regulations,"but"rather"to!put!his!name!on"official"documents,"
proudly"displaying"his"outsized"signature"for"the"photographers.""" " "
"Trump’s"Dickensian"name"suggests"the"crude"braggart"with"a"past"as"suspect"as"his"
present"schemes.""He"sees"himself"as"a"superhero"straight"out"of"comic"books.""Living"in"a"kind"
of"hyper-reality"as"he"does,"he"can"only"express"his"version"of"things"by"speaking"in"hyperbole.""
Thus"his"over-the-top"rhetoric"is,"by"definition,"untrue.""Fact-checking"is"the"groveling"activity"of"
lesser"mortals"trapped"in"the"so-called"“real"world.”""Not"only"does"he"consistently"tell"lies,"he"is"
temperamentally"incapable"of"telling"the"plain"truth.""He"accepts"no"objective"reality"against"
which"his"statements"can"be"tested;"rather"reality"is"his"latest"assertion,"requiring"a"complete"
suspension"of"disbelief.""“Believe"me,”"he"says,"“trust"me,"okay,"everything"is"going"to"be"great,"
the"greatest,"the"greatest"in"history.”""This"from"a"man"who"knows"nothing"of"history.""Tony"
Schwartz,"the"ghost"writer"of"Trump’s"best-seller"Trump:!The!Art!of!the!Deal,"knows"him"as"well"
as"anyone:"“Trump"has"the"ability"to"convince"himself"that"whatever"he"is"saying"at"any"given"
moment"is"true,"or"sort"of"true,"or"ought!to"be"true.”8""In"that"book"Trump"reveals"cynical"
calculation"behind"his"superlatives:"“People"want"to"believe"that"something"is"the"biggest"and"
the"greatest"and"the"most"spectacular.""I"call"it"hyperbole.”""After"all,"he’s"selling"something"big"
and"spectacularly"great—himself."""""""""""
" Schwartz,"who"spent"“nearly"a"year"hanging"around"Trump,”"cites"his"“relentlessly"
demanding,"difficult"and"driven”"father"Fred"as"the"source"of"his"arrested"development.""From"
his"boyhood"on"he"has"lived"in"a"zero-sum,"win-or-lose"world,"where"“you"either"dominated"or"

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you"submitted.”""He"told"a"recent"biographer"that"he"was"“basically"the"same”"as"he"was"“in"the"
first"grade.”""His"philosophy,"if"it"deserves"that"name,"derives"from"the"Social"Darwinism"of"the"
Robber"Barons,"who"pursued"a"ruthless"“survival"of"the"fittest”"as"opposed"to"intelligent"
adaptation"to"changing"environments.""What"Trump"doesn’t"value,"Schwartz"discovered,"were"
such"basic"human"virtues"as"“empathy,"generosity,"reflectiveness,"the"capacity"to"delay"
gratification,"above"all,"a"conscience,"an"inner"sense"of"right"and"wrong.”""Instead,"his"life"is"“all"
transactional,"all"the"time.”""Schwartz"final"impression"of"Trump"was"that"of"“a"black"hole,”"a"
hollow"man,"in"T."S."Eliot’s"phrase,"his"head"both"topped"and"filled"with"straw.""“He"reacts"rather"
than"reflects,"and"damn"the"consequences…"[which]"makes"his"access"to"the"nuclear"codes"so"
dangerous"and"frightening.”9"""""""""
" Trump"actually"believes,"as"Kellyanne"Conway"notoriously"put"it,"in"“alternative"facts.”""
He"is"on"record"supporting"the"war"in"Iraq,"yet"during"the"primaries"he"insisted"that"he"had"
always"opposed"it.""At"CIA"headquarters—a"place"where"facts"matter—he"said"that"at"his"
overcast"inauguration"“God"looked"down"and"said,"we’re"not"going"to"let"it"rain"on"your"
speech,”10"although"eyewitnesses"as"well"as"satellite"images"confirm"that"that"was"exactly"when"
it"began"to"rain.""He"said"his"crowd"was"much"larger"than"Obama’s,"but"photos"proved"that"it"
was"much"smaller.""He"claimed"millions"of"illegal"immigrants"voted"for"Hillary,"but"there"is"no"
evidence"to"that"effect.""During"the"badly"botched"debut"of"his"administration,"he"insisted"that"
it"was"“running"like"a"fine-tuned"machine.”11""As"investigations"of"his"campaign’s"ties"to"Russian"
intelligence"gained"momentum,"he"asserted"that"Obama"had"ordered"the"wiretapping"of"Trump"
Towers,"an"accusation"denied"by"the"FBI,"CIA,"and"all"other"credible"sources.""Dana"Milbank"has"
termed"these"outlandish"notions"that"draw"the"media’s"attention"away"from"important"issues"

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Trump’s"“weapons"of"mass"distraction.”""In"isolation,"these"fantasies"might"seem"amusing,"but"
Milbank"rightly"warns:"“This"disconnect"from"reality"is"my"biggest"fear"about"Trump.”12""No"
wonder"George"Orwell’s"1984"has"become"a"bestseller:"whatever"Big"Brother"says"is"the"truth."""
"A"nasty"aspect"of"Trump’s"vanity"is"a"vindictive"streak.""When"crossed,"he"strikes"back.""
Faced"with"any"type"of"accusation,"he"replies"in"kind.""The"image"of"children"squabbling"in"a"
sand"box"comes"to"mind:"“You"stole"my"shovel.”""“Did"not,"you"stole"mine.”""He"will"never"say"“I"
apologize,”"or"“I"was"mistaken.”""In"place"of"rational"arguments,"Trump"prefers"insults.""On"the"
campaign"trail,"Trump’s"Republican"rivals"and"then"“Crooked"Hillary”"were"subjected"to"
invidious"ad"hominem"attacks.""He"is"the"kind"of"person"who"feels"large"when"he"is"belittling"
others.""His"daily"twitter"tantrums"have"become"a"national"embarrassment.""Behind"all"of"
Trump’s"braggadocio"lies"a"deeper"insecurity.""Prone"to"the"paranoia"of"an"in-over-his-head"
novice,"he"is"intent"on"destroying"his"enemies,"real"or"imaginary,"before"they"destroy"him.""
Before"they"reveal"that"he’s"not"what"he"pretends"to"be.""He"is,"Michael"Gerson"laments,"
“sickeningly"cruel”13"when"he"impulsively"lashes"out,"as"when"he"mocked"a"disabled"reporter.14""
His"sinister"adviser,"Steve"Bannon,"only"encourages"Trump’s"bunker"mentality,"stating"that"the"
White"House"is"digging"in"for"a"protracted"war"with"its"opponents,"especially"the"media,"called"
by"Trump,"in"a"term"laden"with"totalitarian"insinuations,"“the"enemy"of"the"people.”"
"Trump"embodies"a"volatile"mix"of"ignorance"and"arrogance.""He"has"no"understanding"of"
or"respect"for"the"Constitution"and"the"American"political"system.""Laughable"as"some"of"his"
antics"are,"he"is"no"loveable"buffoon,"but"rather"a"home-grown"autocrat"who"presents"a"direct"
threat"to"our"democracy.""Philip"Roth"described"him"as"“humanly"impoverished…ignorant"of"
government,"of"history,"of"science,"of"philosophy,"or"art,"incapable"of"expressing"or"recognizing"

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subtlety"or"nuance,"destitute"of"all"decency,"and"wielding"a"vocabulary"of"seventy-seven"words"
that"is"better"called"Jerkish"than"English.”15""While"“seventy-seven"words”"is"a"bit"of"an"overkill,"
that"Trump"is"verbally"challenged"is"beyond"dispute.""George"Will"termed"his"failure"to"think"or"
speak"clearly"“a"dangerous"disability.”16""His"“sad”"addiction"to"tweeting"reminds"me"of"
Nabokov’s"defining"hack"writers"as"tense"mediocrities"who"type"with"their"thumbs"(Trump,"ever"
twitter-pated,"sees"himself"as"the"Hemingway"of"140"characters).""“The"problem"in"
Washington,”"David"Remnick"reminded"us,"is"not"Bannon’s"fantasy"of"a"“Deep"State”"that"must"
be"dismantled,"but"rather"our"elected"leader:"“the"problem"is"a"shallow"man.”17" " "
" " Given"that"his"character"flaws,"his"utter"ineptitude"for"the"presidency,"were"
evident"from"the"start,"why"did"60"million"people"vote"for"Trump?""One"reason"is"that"his"
vulgarity"is"very"much"in"the"American"grain.""For"too"many,"his"crude"abuse"of"women,"
language,"and"common"decency"was"not"offensive,"while"Hillary’s"cultivated"if"sometimes"
scratchy"voice"was.""“Like"everything"she"said"just"turned"me"off,”18"a"Wisconsin"woman"who"
voted"for"Obama"and"then"Trump"stated.""Ours"is"a"mass"culture"society"and"he"was"a"popular"
TV"personality,"the"boob"tube"personified.""He"is"trips"to"Las"Vegas"and"Disneyland"combined.""
Trump"loves"to"bamboozle"the"rubes"and"it"is"easy"to"see"him"as"the"Master"of"the"Midway"
urging"folks"to"step"right"up"to"see"the"geek.""He"speaks"in"scatter-brained"sound"bites"that"
promise"to"feed"the"multitude"but"in"truth"are"a"mirage"in"the"desert"whose"message"is"“Let"
them"eat"sand.”""People"voted"for"a"bull"to"“shake-up”"the"China"shop,"and"now"they"find"
themselves"knee-deep"in"broken"crockery.""His"ill-conceived"and"ill-intentioned"agenda"is"stalled"
in"Congress—a"Muslim"ban,"repealing"Obamacare,"tax"cuts"for"the"wealthy—nevertheless"I"fear"
that"irreparable"damage"is"being"done.""His"cabinet"is"packed"with"foxes"assigned"to"henhouses"

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where"they"can"do"the"most"harm.""Slashing"the"budgets"of"federal"agencies"and"cutting"
programs"will"eliminate"essential"environmental"regulations,"undermine"protections"for"
women,"workers,"and"minorities,"make"life"even"harder"for"the"poor,"and"deplete"the"State"
Department"of"diplomatic"skills,"while"favoring"the"already"pampered"superrich.""For"a"brief"
period"Trump"raised"his"low"ratings"by"firing"missiles"at"Syria"and"dropping"a"mega-bomb"on"
Afghanistan"while"engaging"in"brinksmanship"with"the"perilously"unpredictable"dictator"of"
North"Korea"Kim"Jong"Un.""This"after"alienating"key"allies.""The"threat"of"nuclear"war"looms.""Is"
Trump"capable"of"making"sane"decisions"in"a"time"of"crisis?""The"world"holds"its"breath."
"""2:"Who"Voted"for"Trump"and"Why" " " "
"During"the"campaign"many"investigative"reporters"and"editorial"writers"did"a"laudable"
job"of"evaluating"the"candidates.""Hillary"Clinton’s"cozy"ties"to"big"donors"and"corporate"powers,"
as"well"as"her"waffling"on"her"home"email"server,"were"scrutinized,"but"of"necessity"the"major"
newspapers"and"magazines"devoted"most"of"their"attention"to"exposing"Trump’s"character"
flaws"and"suspect"qualifications.""I"was"encouraged"that"conservative"columnists"such"as"George"
Will"were"unequivocally"opposed"to"a"Trump"presidency,"even"if"not"all"of"them"could"support"
Clinton.""Michael"Gerson,"to"cite"one"example,"who"was"George"W."Bush’s"best"speechwriter"
and"put"the"“compassionate”"in"conservative,"was"often"eloquent"about"Trump’s"serious"
liabilities:"seeing"him"as"“unmoored"from"restraining"influences”"and"concluding:"“This"man"is"
temperamentally,"ideologically,"and"morally"unfit"to"be"president"of"the"United"States.”19
"Unfortunately"for"the"country,"the"coverage"of"the"election"by"our"mass"media"was"
frequently"distorted.""Over"recent"decades"right-wing"commentators"have"gained"enormous"
influence.""Far"more"people"listen"to"Rush"Limbaugh’s"rants"than"to"NBC"news."""Characterized"

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by"its"unfair"and"unbalanced"coverage,"Fox"News"plays"upon"its"elderly"white"audience’s"
frustrations,"fosters"grievances,"and"spreads"confusion"by"attacking"liberal"“elites”"or"insidious"
“others”"rather"than"the"corporations"that"actually"control"the"country.""Even"though"Fox"has"a"
few"reporters"of"integrity"like"Chris"Wallace,"the"most"biased,"such"as"the"recently"fired"Bill"
O’Reilly,"have"the"most"followers.""Other"voices"like"Michael"Savage"and"Laura"Ingraham"are"
equally"baneful,"not"to"mention"the"proliferation"of"vituperative"pseudo"books"by"alt-right"
authors"like"Ann"Coulter"whose"screeds"inflame"millions"of"readers"with"misdirected"outrage.""
Coulter"devoted"several"chapters"in"Adios,!America"to"the"threat"of"Mexican"rapists,"thus"
inspiring"Trump’s"despicable"charges.""The"cumulative"effect"of"this"cynical"deluge"is"
incalculable.""Awash"in"a"stream"of"online"disinformation"the"former"KGB"would"envy,"the"
American"voter"is"left"parched"for"useful"knowledge.""Indeed,"whether"democracy"can"survive"
the"Internet"has"become"a"serious"question.20""No"wonder"the"final"returns"made"a"mockery"of"
our"ideal"of"“an"informed"electorate.”""" " " " " " "
" Trump"may"be"ignorant"of"many"things,"but"how"to"manipulate"the"mass"media"is"not"
one"of"them.""The"cable"channel"that"was"most"critical"of"his"campaign,"MSNBC,"still"could"not"
resist"running"many"of"his"rallies"with"little"or"no"interruption,"which"it"rarely"did"for"the"other"
candidates.""By"saying"or"doing"something"outlandish"on"a"daily"basis,"Trump"was"able"to"
dominate"the"news"cycle"and"thus"gain"a"fortune"in"free"air"time.""This"saturation"coverage"
added"to"his"celebrity"status"and"gave"far"too"much"credibility"to"his"candidacy.""His"Republican"
rivals,"who"should"have"coalesced"around"a"more"viable"candidate"like"John"Kasich,"didn’t"have"
a"chance.""Trump’s"momentum"carried"over"into"the"campaign"against"Clinton"and"proved"
decisive.""Even"so,"those"sixty"million"voters"should"have"known"better.""Why"didn’t"they?

11"
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"
" How"did"so"many"white"working"class"people"come"to"believe"that"a"billionaire"in"a"
baseball"cap"had"their"best"interests"at"heart?" " " " " " "
"The"Democratic"Party"is"complicit"in"the"defection"of"the"blue"collar"portion"of"what"was"
once"the"Roosevelt"Coalition"formed"by"the"New"Deal.""In"spite"of"fears"of"a"white"backlash,"due"
to"Goldwater’s"extremism"LBJ"was"able"to"hold"most"of"the"coalition"together"in"his"landside"
win"in"1964.""But"the"success"of"the"civil"rights"movement,"the"excesses"of"the"late"sixties,"and"
mounting"loses"in"Vietnam"pushed"the"once"Solid"South"and"other"Sunbelt"States"into"the"
Republican"Party.""How"large"a"role"race"played"in"this"shift"is"debatable,"but"its"effects"are"
indisputable"(In"2010"President"Obama"received"a"smaller"percentage"of"white"votes"than"
Michael"Dukakis"in"1988,"and"all"of"ten"percent"of"the"white"vote"in"Mississippi.)""Nixon’s"“silent"
majority”"and"“southern"strategy”"appealed"to"working"class"whites,"then"Reagan"sealed"the"
deal"with"his"“morning"in"America”"celebration"of"patriotism—while"his"“trickle"down”"
economics"only"made"the"rich"richer.""Bill"Clinton"showed"that"a"Democrat"could"charm"the"
masses,"but"his"policies"of"deregulation"and"“triangulation”"and"his"support"for"NAFTA"undercut"
organized"labor"and"brought"social"issues"to"the"forefront.""“The"era"of"big"government"is"
over,”21"he"said,"thus"validating"Reagan’s"pernicious"statement"that"is"now"a"Republican"
mantra:"“Government"is"not"the"solution"to"our"problems;"government"is"the"problem.”22""The"
Republicans"used"the"ensuing"culture"wars"to"shift"voter"concerns"from"basic"“lunch"pail”"
programs"to"abortion,"same-sex"marriage,"prayer"in"the"schools,"and"other"“wedge”"issues.""As"
a"result,"the"heartland"voted"for"legislators"who"made"a"dire"situation"worse.""As"Thomas"Frank"
noted,"they"talked"about"Christ"but"walked"corporate.23""An"insurrection"against"the"
establishment"resulted"in"tax"cuts"for"the"wealthy.""Instead"of"manning"the"barricades,"they"

12"
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fostered"gated"communities.""Local"folks"got"creationism"taught"in"the"schools"but"no"new"jobs"
or"adequate"health"care.""In"exchange"for"a"Walmart"they"boarded"up"Main"Street.""I"saw"a"sign"
in"a"small"town"in"Indiana"that"summed"it"up:"“God"the"author"of"all"things.""Just"say"no"to"
zoning.”""Dying"towns"bred"general"despair"and"free-floating"resentment"directed"at"coastal"
elites"instead"of"the"elected"representatives"who"led"them"astray"and"betrayed"their"welfare.""
" President"Obama"was"aware"of"our"blighted"heartland,"yet"he"never"did"speak"their"
language"or"show"enough"concern.""By"temperament"he"was"cool"and"aloof;"he"never"made"
rural"renewal"or"working"class"jobs"a"priority"(even"if"he"had,"Republicans"in"Congress"were"
determined"not"to"support"any"of"his"initiatives);"and"in"a"mistaken"effort"to"stay"above"the"fray"
he"blamed"the"dysfunction"of"the"federal"government"on"Washington"itself,"not"Republican"
voters"for"sending"to"Congress"reactionary"Tea"Party"obstructionists"who"caused"the"stalemate.""
This"created"a"false"plague-on-both-your-houses"narrative"that"obscured"the"true"culprits.""
While"neither"party"had"clean"hands,"the"most"serious"damage"was"being"done"by"one"side—in"
keeping"with"Mitch"McConnell’s"vow"to"block"Obama’s"programs"in"order"to"ensure"a"failed"
presidency.""Even"though"she"lived"in"Arkansas"for"many"years,"Hillary"never"developed"her"
husband’s"common"touch,"and"that"hampered"her"on"the"campaign"trail.""Her"service"as"
Secretary"of"State"cut"her"off"from"Middle"America,"and"her"sophisticated,"feminist-inspired"
policies,"grounded"in"her"commitment"to"child"care,"cast"working"class"males"as"the"bad"guys—
men"cleaned"their"guns"instead"of"washing"the"dishes.""That"a"smart-talking"dame"in"a"pants"suit"
wanted"to"regulate"those"guns"made"already"insecure"males"even"more"so.""Her"basic"message"
in"support"of"competence"and"progressive"values"was"often"blurred"and"uninspiring,"while"her"
tone-deaf"“basket"of"deplorables”"comment"marked"the"low"point"of"her"campaign.""" "

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" Ours"is"a"multicultural"society"and"the"Democrats,"to"their"credit,"have"tried"to"look"out"
for"the"most"vulnerable.""To"do"this"they"have"focused"on"various"minority"interest"groups,"each"
with"its"own"set"of"problems"calling"for"specific"solutions.""As"Lincoln"said,"it"is"the"role"of"
government"“to"do"for"people"what"needs"to"be"done,"but"which"they"cannot,"by"individual"
effort,"do"at"all,"or"do"so"well,"for"themselves.”24""National"problems"require"federal"solutions.""
But"there"is"a"negative"side"to"identity"politics"and"governmental"largesse.""Spokespersons"for"
each"minority"impose"fixed"definitions"of"who"their"“people”"are"and"present"competing"
demands—not"all"of"which"can"or"should"be"met—that"come"with"a"quid"pro"quo:"to"gain"our"
votes"give"us"what"we"want."""" " " " " " " "
"Thus"it"is"difficult"for"Democrats"to"criticize"or"say"no"to"the"interest"groups"they"wish"to"
please"and"represent.""That"would"provide"ammunition"for"the"Republican"opposition.""Serious"
problems"posed"by"millions"of"illegal"immigrants,"for"example,"or"the"rising"black-on-black"
homicide"rates"in"major"cities"like"Chicago,"Baltimore,"and"New"Orleans,"are"topics"Democrats"
prefer"to"avoid,"while"Republicans"do"the"opposite,"instigating"animosity"toward"Latinos"and"
African"Americans,"who"are"seen"as"taking"undeserved"federal"handouts.""Politics,"Henry"Adams"
said,"is"“the"systematic"organization"of"hatreds.”25""The"resulting"polarization"makes"it"next"to"
impossible"to"pass"sensible"legislation.""Meanwhile,"white"people"especially"in"rural"areas"feel"
strongly"that"they"have"an"identity"too;"yet"because"they"don’t"fit"the"fashionable"ethnic"and"
gender"categories,"they"are"being"scorned"and"neglected.""Why"should"these"less-deserving"
minorities"receive"all"the"attention"and"help,"while"we’ve"been"doing"our"damndest"to"cope"
with"hard"times"for"far"too"long?""Thus"a"politics"of"resentment"is"born,"with"its"anger"directed"
at"those"“others”"the"Democratic"Party"seems"to"favor."" " " " "

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" J."D."Vance’s"Hillbilly!Elegy"was"widely"read"for"its"picture"of"the"Appalachian"Scots"Irish"
whose"grievances"helped"fuel"Trump’s"election.""He"depicts"communities"deprived"of"good"jobs"
and"now"slipping"into"the"kinds"of"social"pathologies"many"associate"with"black"ghettos.""Young"
people"who"drop"out"of"school,"lack"skills"as"well"as"a"work"ethic,"and"succumb"to"opioid"abuse,"
unstable"relationships,"and"domestic"violence.""Childhood"trauma"caused"by"chaos"at"home"only"
reinforces"failures"in"the"classroom.""“They"want"us"to"be"shepherds"to"these"kids,”"one"teacher"
lamented.""“But"no"one"wants"to"talk"about"the"fact"that"many"of"them"are"raised"by"wolves.”""
The"fiercely"independent"people"Vance"describes"resist"government"assistance"and"resent"
those"who"game"the"welfare"system.""In"a"world"where"“irrational"behavior”"and"“cognitive"
dissonance”"are"common,"while"personal"flaws"fester"and"public"problems"persist,"many"saw"
Trump"as"their"savior.""Nobody"like"Obama"had"ever"appeared"in"their"town,"and"Hillary"talked"
like"a"social"worker"telling"them"to"change"their"ways.""No"wonder"this"“most"pessimistic"group"
in"America,”26"voted"for"the"man"who"promised"them"the"moon.""" " " "
" Bill"and"Hillary"Clinton,"as"well"as"Barack"Obama,"epitomized"the"idea"of"America"as"a"
meritocracy.""They"had"risen"to"the"top"by"doing"well"in"school"and"they"expected"others"to"do"
the"same.""The"path"to"success"was"through"good"grades.""“What"you"earn"depends"on"what"
you"learn,”27"Bill"Clinton"announced.""If"you"do"poorly"in"class"or"drop"out,"then"you’re"at"fault"if"
your"life"turns"out"badly.""They"assumed"that"what"people"wanted"was"to"change"their"collars"
from"blue"to"white,"not"to"punch"a"time"clock,"take"pride"in"something"they"made,"or"take"a"
shower"after"work.""It"was"goodbye"Archie"Bunker,"hello"Jerry"Seinfeld.""Thus"Democratic"
reforms"diminished"the"power"of"labor"unions,"since"the"future"was"with"technocrats"and"the"
computer"literate.""That"may"be"true,"but"it"ignores"the"class"animus"such"notions"generate.""

15"
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Workers"who"saw"their"good-paying"jobs"shipped"abroad,"and"now"have"to"struggle"at"crummy"
low-paying"jobs"just"to"make"ends"meet,"blamed"their"plight"on"coastal"elites"who"look"down"
from"airplane"windows"on"their"flyover"country.""" " " " " "
" Trump"voters"did"have"legitimate"grievances"against"the"status"quo"in"general"and"the"
Democratic"Party"in"particular.""Even"the"best"of"intentions"have"unintended"consequences.""
Globalization"may"be"inevitable"and"beneficial"for"most"people,"but"it"has"had"a"devastating"
impact"on"many"others.""After"losing"their"good"jobs"to"automation"or"foreign"competition,"
American"workers"found"themselves"worse"off"than"their"parents"and"feared"that"their"
children’s"lives"were"not"going"to"be"better.""They"knew"that"for"them"the"playing"field"was"not"
level"and"that"economically"they"were"at"a"distinct"disadvantage.""The"recent"drop"in"life"
expectancy"among"downscale"whites"in"the"heartland"due"to"opioid"addiction,"alcoholism,"
obesity,"and"suicide"has"been"attributed"to"“diseases"of"despair”"induced"by"their"deteriorating"
situation.28""That"one"of"Trump’s"typically"raucous"rallies"proved"to"be"the"most"exciting"event"
in"years"illustrates"how"stagnant"and"deprived"of"hope"their"communities"had"become.""""
" Although"multiculturalism"is"an"essential"response"to"how"diverse"our"society"now"is,"it"
does"present"a"threat"to"our"core"values"and"beliefs.""Unfortunately"our"schools,"both"public"
and"private,"have"failed"to"teach"the"Enlightenment"ideas"at"the"heart"of"our"political"system.""
Most"of"our"adult"citizens"can’t"name"the"three"branches"of"government"or"their"own"senators.""
A"society"based"on"civic"virtue"needs"a"common"ground"of"shared"assumptions"and"public"
places"where"people"can"interact"on"an"equal"footing.""In"classic"Greek"democracy"the"polis"
served"that"purpose,"hence"our"word"“political.”"""People"who"didn’t"participate"in"civic"life"
were"deemed"“idiots.”""Many"rural"Americans,"rightly"or"wrongly,"feel"threatened"by"alternative"

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lifestyles,"same-sex"marriage,"gender-bending"identities,"and"belief"systems"that"challenge"the"
primacy"of"Christianity.""How"can"we"know,"for"example,"if"American"Muslims"practice"tolerance"
or"plot"terrorism?""Does"multiculturalism"hinder"the"melting"pot"from"helping"immigrants"adopt"
basic"American"values?""These"kinds"of"uncertainties,"often"fed"by"ignorance,"create"a"general"
fear"of"“others”"and"reinforce"the"binary"oppositions"of"city"versus"country,"change"versus"
tradition,"liberal"versus"conservative,"and"us"versus"them.""Our"real"differences"cannot"be"
papered"over"by"homilies"in"praise"of"empowerment"or"the"euphemisms"and"sanitized"speech"
imposed"by"PC"dictums.""Frank"and"open"discussions"are"a"better"path"to"finding"shared"
standards.""The"prevalence"of"gerrymandered"districts,"however,"makes"it"much"harder"to"elect"
well-informed,"clear-headed,"good-hearted,"and"reasonably"mature"leaders"who"can"craft"
pragmatic"legislation"and"restore"a"semblance"of"national"unity"and"purpose.""" "
" Those"Trump"voters"harmed"by"Democratic"policies"were"not"mistaken"in"feeling"that"
they"had"been"shunted"aside"and"left"in"a"dead"end"situation,"but"they"were"sadly"deluded"to"
see"Donald"Trump"as"the"answer"for"them"and"the"country.""Democracy"requires"a"critical"mass"
of"responsible"voters"to"function"properly.""For"the"Greeks"being"idiotical"was"antithetical"to"
being"political"but"in"practice"they"intermingle.""The"complexity"of"our"problems"is"beyond"the"
capacity"of"our"minds.""“They"cannot"look"out"far"/"They"cannot"look"in"deep,”"Robert"Frost"said"
of"people"along"the"shore"staring"out"into"the"immensity"of"the"ocean."“But"when"was"that"ever"
a"bar"/"To"any"watch"they"keep?”29""Who"among"us"can"grasp"the"intricacies"of"a"trillion"dollar"
budget?"or"solve"the"strife"in"the"Middle"East"among"nations"we"couldn’t"locate"on"a"map?""We"
all,"in"a"sense,"are"mortal"fools"casting"blind"ballots.""Even"the"most"conscientious"voters"can"
choose"badly.""That"is"why"democratic"elections,"however"admirable"in"theory,"are"always"a"

17"
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gamble.""As"Winston"Churchill"said"with"wise"irony,"“Democracy"is"the"worst"form"of"
government,"except"for"all"the"other"forms.”""On"a"more"cynical"note,"Oscar"Wilde"lamented"
that"“democracy"is"no"longer"the"dream"of"poets"and"philosophers,"it"is"a"melancholy"reality,”"
and"H."L."Mencken"wryly"added,"“Democracy"is"a"theory"that"the"common"people"know"what"
they"want"and"deserve"to"get"it"good"and"hard.”30""Certainly"if"voters"were"better"at"judging"
candidates"“on"the"content"of"their"character,”"as"Martin"Luther"King"urged,"Congress"would"
have"a"different"composition.""Far"too"often"the"Deep"South"selects"a"confederacy"of"dunces,"
one"of"whom,"Jeff"Sessions,"is"now"our"Attorney"General."""And"in"Donald"Trump"the"Tea"Party"
came"up"with"the"Maddest"Hatter"of"them"all.""In"other"words,"muddle-headed,"if"not"irrational"
factors,"tainted"an"election"that"has"jeopardized"our"democracy."" " " " "
"Books"explaining"Trump’s"victory"based"on"polling,"statistics,"and"scholarly"analysis"have"
already"appeared.""What"I"offer"instead"are"some"subjective"scenarios"that"suggest"how"some"
of"Trump’s"voters,"many"without"legitimate"grievances"against"the"Democrats,"may"have"been"
influenced"by"faulty"assumptions"and"suspect"fantasies.""The"Republican"Party"thrives"on"the"
politics"of"let’s"pretend.""Their"supporters"like"to"imagine"that"they"are"Alone"with"America,"free"
agents"and"self-made"men"and"women"under"no"civic"obligations"and"beholden"to"nobody.""
Even"though"the"open"road"they"walk"down"was"built"by"tax"dollars,"they"see"no"need"for"the"
federal"government—as"if"their"freedoms"were"enhanced"by"neglecting"public"education,"
environmental"protections,"basic"infrastructure,"and"essential"health"care.""In"the"related"Free"
to"Be"Me"belief,"people"resist"being"criticized"or"told"what"to"do,"while"never"seeing"that"they"
are"in"thrall"to"unhealthy"habits"and"dubious"dogmas"that"prevent"them"from"achieving"an"
authentic"selfhood.""A"similar"scenario"is"the"Small"Town"ideal,"where"everyone"is"neighborly"

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and"knows"your"name"since"you’re"all"white"and"go"to"the"same"church"on"Sunday.""If"you"need"
anything,"folks"will"chip"in"and"no"federal"aid"is"needed.""Best"wishes"and"covered"dishes"can"
only"go"so"far,"however;"if"you"have"a"catastrophic"illness,"you"are"“free”"to"face"the"fact"that"
you"can’t"afford"health"insurance"and"therefore"will"die"prematurely"for"lack"of"proper"care.""
Because"Trump"was"able"to"tap"into"these"tacit"assumptions,"people"thought"that"he"talked"
their"language.""In"addition,"many"uncritically"admired"him"as"a"Successful"Businessman,"a"self-
proclaimed"billionaire"who"must"be"super"smart"to"be"so"super"wealthy.""Ergo,"he"could"do"no"
wrong.""That"his"was"not"a"rags"to"riches"tale,"but"rather"that"of"a"boy"born"with"a"silver"spoon"
in"his"mouth"who,"in"spite"of"serial"bankruptcies,"grew"up"to"gold-plate"his"penthouses,"eluded"
them.""“Trump"is"a"poor"man’s"idea"of"a"rich"man,”31"Fran"Lebowitz"observed,"and"he"was"able"
to"parley"that"mystique"into"overawing"his"supporters.""" " " " " "
"During"the"campaign"various"metaphors"occurred"to"me"to"explain"Trump’s"ersatz"
appeal.""Voters"not"only"cast"a"ballot"but"also"vote"for"a"cast"in"the"Great"American"Soap"Opera.""
In"2008,"John"McCain"tried"to"revitalize"his"campaign"via"the"Perils"of"Palin,"who"fortunately"
flubbed"her"part.""In"this"scenario,"Hillary"was"a"same-old"re-run"while"Trump"promised"to"make"
the"Kardashians"seem"demure.""If"voters"reverted"to"selecting"a"homecoming"king"and"queen,"
then"Trump"was"the"senior"class"lothario"with"a"flask"in"his"jacket,"while"Hillary"was"the"smarty"
pants"valedictorian"who"wouldn’t"share"her"homework.""Regressing"further,"Trump"is"the"
schoolyard"bully"the"other"kids"butter"up"to"avoid"being"picked"on.""For"those"seeking"not"
reform"but"revenge,"a"vote"for"Trump"was"like"playing"the"lottery.""Odds"are,"you"weren’t"
cashing"in"or"getting"your"old"job"back,"but"at"least"you"got"to"give"a"middle"finger"to"the"elites"
and"to"enjoy"the"thrill"of"watching"Trump"tip"over"the"establishment’s"apple"carts."""

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" Too"many"Americans"are"what"pollsters"call"“low"information"voters,”"people"who"don’t"
follow"politics,"and"have"little"knowledge"of"how"our"government"works.""For"them"as"well"as"
others"who"should"have"known"better,"the"most"damaging"development"during"the"campaign"
was"the"prevalence"of"several"self-satisfied,"patently"false"assumptions:"that"all"politicians"are"
equally"corrupt,"that"the"solutions"to"our"nation’s"problem"are"obvious"and"simple,"and"that"the"
best"course"of"action"would"be"to"get"rid"of"the"corruption,"“clean"the"swamp,”"and"send"in"a"
man"of"the"people"who"would"crack"congressional"heads"together"and"pass"no-nonsense"
legislation"that"would"cure"our"nation’s"ills.""Trump’s"endless"repetition"of"“crooked"Hillary”"
neatly"fit"this"simplistic"Frank"Capra"narrative,"as"did"his"ridiculous"boast"that"“I"alone"can"fix”"
the"mess"in"Washington,"not"anyone"with"experience"or"expertise.""If"you"lack"the"necessary"
education,"attention"span,"and"analytic"skills"to"study"complex"problems,"it’s"easier"to"seek"
scapegoats"and"to"blame"liberal"elites.""And"if"elites"are"the"enemy,"then"being"well-qualified"for"
office"is"fatal.""In"addition,"a"widely"accepted"cliché"asserted"that"both"candidates"were"equally"
awful,"so"why"not"give"the"new"guy"a"chance"to"shake"things"up?""This"false"equivalency,"a"
variation"on"the"“everything"is"absolutely"relative”"notion"of"postmodern"theory,"in"effect"
muddied"the"waters,"preventing"many"voters"from"seeing"that"Clinton"was"clearly"the"better"
choice.""In"the"final"weeks"of"the"election,"a"crucial"minority"of"voters"were"still!making!up!their!
minds,"which"raises"the"question"of"whether"they"had"functioning"brains"to"start"with.""" ""
" Finally,"I"must"discuss"two"factors"that"played"a"pivotal"role:"the"last"minute"meddling"of"
James"Comey"of"the"FBI"and"Russia’s"stealth"cyberattack"on"the"election." " "
"""3:"The"Comey"Effect"and"the"Putin"Connection" " " "
"FBI"Director"Comey’s"ill-fated"intervention"in"the"election"is"laced"with"ironies."For"

20"
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Republicans"driven"to"distraction"by"their"repeated"failure"to"convict"Clinton"for"the"deaths"at"
Benghazi,"the"disclosure"of"her"use"of"a"private"server"as"Secretary"of"State"was"a"godsend.""Her"
reluctance"to"admit"this"was"a"costly"blunder"and"the"fact"that"she"had"mixed"her"
correspondence"with"some"classified"communications"kept"the"issue"alive"for"many"months,"
exposing"negative"character"traits.""Having"been"a"Republican"punching"bag"for"so"many"years,"
she"had"difficulty"sorting"unjust"from"just"criticism"and"giving"straight"answers"to"honest"
questions.""Her"use"of"the"home"server"reinforced"the"impression"that"for"“Hillary"Clinton”"
common"rules"did"not"apply.""Her"subsequent"hemming"and"hawing"meant"that"a"bomb"that"
should"have"been"disabled"kept"on"ticking." " " " " " "
" In"March"the"FBI"received"a"Russian"intelligence"document"deemed"unreliable,"and"
“possibly"even"a"fake,”"revealing"that"Attorney"General"Loretta"Lynch"had"assured"the"
Democratic"campaign"that"she"would"keep"the"email"investigation"under"control.""Although"
Comey"knew"this"information"was"dubious,"he"feared"that"it"might"be"leaked"to"discredit"him,"
and"he"was"wary"that"the"Justice"Department"might"try"to"protect"Clinton.32""In"late"June"Bill"
Clinton"had"a"private"twenty-minute"meeting"on"Lynch’s"plane.""Although"she"claimed"Hillary’s"
case"was"not"discussed,"this"prompted"Comey,"without"consulting"Lynch,"to"announce"the"
bureau’s"unanimous"decision"not"to"bring"charges,"since"Clinton"had"not"intentionally"used"her"
home"server"to"store"classified"information.""But"Comey"went"further"than"he"should"have,"
stating"that"she"had"acted"irresponsibly"and"had"been"“extremely"careless"in"handling"classified"
material.”33""While"this"public"scolding"hurt,"the"email"issue"had"been"put"to"rest,"and"by"mid-
fall"she"was"leading"in"most"of"the"polls."" " " " " " "
" Then"in"late"October"Comey"was"told"that"during"a"pornography"inquiry"concerning"

21"
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Anthony"D."Weiner,"the"estranged"husband"of"Clinton’s"confidant"Huma"Abedin,"“hundreds"and"
thousands”"of"Hillary’s"emails—a"number"that"proved"to"be"vastly"inflated—had"turned"up"on"
his"computer.34""Since"some"of"these"emails"might"be"among"those"she"had"previously"deleted,"
the"FBI"wanted"to"pursue"what"might"be"a"promising"lead.""Comey’s"dilemma"was"whether"or"
not"to"disclose"this"new"development.""Standard"procedure"is"not"to"discuss"an"active"
investigation"and"long-established"precedent"decrees"that"nothing"should"be"done"that"might"
disrupt"the"results"close"to"an"Election"Day.""Yet"Comey"decided"to"inform"Congress"of"the"
situation"before!the"FBI"ascertained"if"any"of"the"new"material"was"incriminating"or"not.""
Because"he"had"previously"stated"that"the"case"was"closed,"he"considered"it"his"duty"to"tell"
Congressional"leaders"that"it"now"was"re-opened.""And"so"on"October"28th"he"sent"a"letter:"“In"
connection"with"an"unrelated"case,"the"F.B.I."has"learned"of"the"existence"of"emails"that"appear"
to"be"pertinent"to"the"investigation.”35""""""""
" Commentators"on"these"critical"events"have"not"stressed"enough"that"the"laptop"being"
examined"belonged"to"Anthony!Weiner"of"the"unfortunate"last"name"and"unsavory"
predilections."""When"his"selfie"crotch"shots"ran"repeatedly"on"TV,"voters"were"uncomfortably"
reminded"of"how"sleazy"a"Democratic"politician"could"be,"and"his"wife’s"tolerance"of"his"bizarre"
behavior"recalled"Hillary’s"fronting"for"Bill’s"bimbo"episodes.""Thus"The"Penis"Factor"reared"its"
ugly"head,"causing"some"women"Clinton"counted"on"to"have"second"thoughts"and,"in"the"last"
week,"switch"to"Trump.""Although"80%"of"evangelicals"forgave"Trump’s"pussy-grabbing"boast"to"
win"one"for"the"Groper,"crucial"swing"voters"in"battleground"states"couldn’t"stomach"one"more"
rehash"of"the"Clinton"saga"as"well"as"the"prospect"that"Hillary"might"be"indicted.""“She"was"like"a"
piece"of"shit"that"wouldn’t"go"down"the"toilet,”"one"Michigan"man"who"had"voted"for"Obama"

22"
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and"then"Trump"crudely"remarked.""“There"was"always"some"kind"of"scandal.”36""Shortly"after"
the"letter"was"released,"polls"picked"up"“the"Comey"effect,”"as"Hillary’s"lead"began"to"slip.""By"
the"time"Comey"acknowledged"a"week"later"that"the"FBI"review"had"found"nothing"to"change"
their"previous"conclusion,"the"damage"had"been"done.""" " " "
"Comey’s"original"letter"came"with"no"warning"to"the"Trump"campaign"not"to"
sensationalize"this"new"information,"which"of"course"they"promptly"did.""Trump"proclaimed"that"
Hillary’s"mistake"was"a"national"disaster,"“worse"than"Watergate,”"while"his"supporters"chanted"
“Lock"her"up!”""And"Comey’s"second"letter"came"with"no"apology"for"sowing"the"seeds"of"
discord.""On"May"3rd"he"did"admit"that"the"thought"his"actions"impacted"the"elections"made"him"
“mildly"nauseous,”37"but"did"he"realize"the"magnitude"of"what"he"had"done?""Was"he"incredibly"
naïve"about"the"political"realities"involved,"or"were"cynical"calculations"involved?"""
"The"Comey"Effect"is,"we"know,"only"half"of"this"still"unfolding"story.""Back"in"2015"British"
intelligence"alerted"United"States"agencies"about"possible"links"between"the"Trump"campaign"
and"Russian"nationals.""In"late"July"of"2016,"the"FBI"opened"a"full"investigation.""Agents"
discovered"that"Putin’s"operatives"had"hacked"thousands"of"emails"from"the"Democratic"
National"Committee"that"were"then"released"expediently"via"WikiLeaks.""If"Comey"felt"obligated"
to"tell"Congress"about"re-opening"Hillary’s"case,"why"didn’t"he"inform"them"about"the"far"more"
sinister"efforts"by"Russia"to"attack"Clinton,"support"Trump,"subvert"American"democracy,"and"
undermine"our"alliances?""Once"Obama"learned"of"these"developments,"he"wanted"to"warn"the"
public"of"the"imminent"danger.""Ironically,"both"he"and"Comey"were"reluctant"to"intervene"
because"they"assumed"that"Hillary"would"win.""Comey"didn’t"want"any"suspects"to"know"that"
the"FBI"was"investigating"them.""He"also"kept"silent"because"he"feared"that"Republicans"would"

23"
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accuse"him"of"enabling"Clinton’s"victory,"an"accusation"he"thought"would"be"“catastrophic”38"for"
the"FBI.""Instead,"the"catastrophe"proved"to"be"ours.""Likewise"Obama"didn’t"wish"to"appear"to"
have"tipped"the"scales"in"Clinton’s"favor.""Although"in"early"October"voters"were"cautioned"by"
American"intelligence"of"a"Russian"cyber"operation"to"influence"the"election,"few"realized"the"
malign"effectiveness"of"Putin’s"stealth"attack"or"how"at"least"circumstantial"evidence"strongly"
implied"collusion"on"the"part"of"the"Trump"campaign."" " " " " "
" Trump’s"ties"to"Russia"date"back"more"than"a"decade.""In"2007"he"praised"Putin"for"
“doing"a"great"job"rebuilding…Russia,”39"and"the"following"year"his"son"Donald"Jr."admitted"that"
“Russians"made"up"a"pretty"disproportionate"cross-section"of"our"assets…."We"see"a"lot"of"
money"pouring"in"from"Russia.”40""One"probable"reason"Trump"refuses"to"release"his"taxes"is"to"
hide"his"Russian"investments.""In"November"of"2013"he"was"in"Moscow"as"producer"of"the"Miss"
Universe"Pageant.""He"boasted"that"he"had"met"that"nation’s"business"leaders—“Almost"all"the"
oligarchs"were"in"the"room”41—and"that"Putin"had"called"him"“a"genius.”"(Apparently"Putin"
found"him"“colorful,”"translated"to"Trump"as"“brilliant,”"ergo"“a"genius.”)""From"the"start"of"his"
campaign"Trump"consistently"praised"Putin.""In"April"at"the"Mayflower"Hotel"in"DC,"with"Russian"
Ambassador"Sergey"Kislyak"in"the"audience,"he"promised"far"better"relations"with"Russia,"
implying"that"he"might"lift"sanctions"and"undercut"NATO.""Although"Trump’s"core"Joe"Sixpack"
constituency"cared"little"for"foreign"policy,"Trump"kept"reiterating"his"pro-Kremlin"positions.""
Among"the"intelligence"community"this"must"have"raised"a"red"flag,"especially"after"Trump"
advisers"were"known"to"be"in"contact"with"Russian"officials."""""""
" Carter"Page,"an"investment"banker"at"Merrill"Lynch,"lived"in"Moscow"for"several"years.""
Cultivated"by"Russian"agents"as"a"“useful"idiot,”"in"2013"he"passed"economic"information"to"

24"
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Victor"Podobnyy"in"New"York.42""When"the"FBI"interviewed"him"that"year,"he"denied"that"he"had"
handed"over"any"sensitive"documents.""In"March"of"2016,"Trump"named"Page,"a"walk-in"
volunteer,"one"of"his"foreign"policy"advisers.""He"was"in"Moscow"that"July,"giving"a"paid"speech"
highly"critical"of"Obama’s"foreign"policy.""There"he"met"Putin"ally"Igor"Sechin"and"others.""
Another"suspect"was"Paul"Manafort,"who"was"hired"in"March"and"became"acting"chairman"of"
the"campaign"on"June"20th."""He"was"fired"on"August"19th"following"reports"he"had"received"
twelve"million"dollars"under-the-table"from"the"pro-Putin"deposed"Ukraine"president"Viktor"
Yanukovych,"who"had"fled"to"Russia.""A"third"Trump"adviser,"Roger"J."Stone,"whose"dirty"tricks"
for"Republican"campaigns"date"back"to"Watergate,43"let"it"be"known"in"August"that"he"
possessed"insider"WikiLeaks"info"and"predicted"that"emails"stolen"from"Clinton"campaign"
chairman"John"Podesta"would"soon"be"released—as"they"indeed"were"in"October.""Although"
several"other"important"players"were"involved,"the"activities"of"Page,"Manafort,"and"Stone"
alone"justified"the"FBI"in"prioritizing"an"investigation"of"the"Trump"campaign.""" " "
" When"I"first"heard"of"a"thirty-five-page"dossier"that"detailed"collusion"between"the"
Trump"campaign"and"Putin’s"operatives,"I"assumed"it"was"merely"one"of"those"crackpot"
fabrications"that"clog"the"internet.""Then"I"learned"that"its"author"was"Christopher"Steele,"a"
highly"regarded"former"MI6"agent"stationed"in"Moscow.""Apparently"the"dossier"was"
commissioned"by"one"of"Trump’s"Republican"rivals"(my"guess"is"Jeb"Bush,"due"to"his"family’s"
close"ties"with"the"intelligence"community),"and"later"shared"with"the"Clinton"campaign,"which"
declined"to"use"it"for"lack"of"time"to"coordinate"its"many"charges.""A"key"Steel"source,"Siarhei"
Kukuts,"aka"Sergei"Millian,"is"known"for"his"self-aggrandizing"exaggerations.""And"Trump’s"
personal"lawyer"Michael"Cohen"produced"his"passport"to"show"he"had"not"met"with"any"

25"
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Russians"in"Prague,"although"he"and"Millian"were"in"contact.44""On"the"other"hand,"since"
BuzzFeed!News"published"the"report,45"other"meetings"between"Trump"people"and"Russians"
close"to"Putin"have"been"confirmed,46"plus"18"other"recently"disclosed"contacts.47""The"on-going"
FBI"and"congressional"investigations"are"presently"accessing"the"dossier’s"reliability."""
" The"most"sensational"accusation"is"that"during"the"Miss"Universe"pageant"in"2013,"
Trump,"in"an"act"of"spite,"hired"prostitutes"to"perform"a"“golden"shower”"on"a"bed"in"the"
presidential"suite"at"the"Ritz"Carlton"in"Moscow"where"the"Obamas"had"previously"slept.""Other"
sexual"escapades"took"place"in"Saint"Petersburg.""These"variations"on"the"honey"pot"scams"of"
the"Soviet"era"were"filmed"in"order"to"blackmail"Trump.""Steele"notes"that"the"prostitutes"
involved"had"since"been"“‘silenced,’"i.e."bribed"or"coerced"to"disappear.”48""Rumors"circulate"
that"smuggled"tapes,"probably"fraudulent,"are"available"in"Europe"to"the"highest"bidder.""
Normally,"this"salacious"story"could"be"dismissed"out"of"hand,"but"given"Trump’s"past"and"
present"behavior,"it"exudes"the"odor"of"possibility."""" " " " "
" The"central"accusation"in"the"dossier,"which"consists"of"a"series"of"memos,"is"that"the"
“Russian"regime"has"been"cultivating,"supporting"and"assisting"TRUMP"for"at"least"5"years.""Aim,"
endorsed"by"PUTIN,"has"been"to"encourage"splits"and"divisions"in"western"alliance…."TRUMP…"
and"his"inner"circle"have"been"accepting"a"regular"flow"of"intelligence"from"the"Kremlin,"
including"on"his"Democratic"and"other"political"rivals.”""Putin’s"operatives"had"accumulated"
kompromat,"or"compromising"material,"on"Clinton"by"intercepting"her"communications.""And"
they"were"releasing"hacked"emails"of"the"Democratic"National"Committee"via"WikiLeaks"in"
order"to"maintain"“plausible"deniability.”""For"their"part"“the"TRUMP"team"had"agreed"to"
sideline"Russian"intervention"in"Ukraine"as"a"campaign"issue,”"by"raising"instead"the"failure"of"

26"
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our"NATO"allies"to"pay"their"fair"share"in"the"defense"of"Europe.""Putin"was"motivated"by"his"
hatred"for"Obama"and"Clinton.""He"saw"Trump"as"a"“divisive,"anti-establishment"candidate"who"
would"shake"up"current"international"status"quo"in"Russia’s"favor,”"especially"by"lifting"
“Ukraine-related"sanctions"which"[were]"seriously"disadvantaging"the"country.”49"" "
"The"dossier"names"several"of"Putin’s"operatives"as"well"as"Trump’s"“intermediaries.”""
The"Kremlin-controlled"television"network"RT"paid"Michael"Flynn"$45,000"for"speaking"at"a"10""
December"2015"Moscow"gala"affair"where"he"sat"next"to"Putin"at"dinner.""Carter"Page"held"
“secret"meetings"in"Moscow"with"senior"regime"figures"in"July"2016,”"and"Paul"Manafort"was"in"
a"“corrupt"relationship"with"the"former"pro-Russian…regime"in"Ukraine,”"for"which"he"received"
“kick-back"payments.”""Although"Michael"Cohen"refuted"a"Prague"meeting,"the"dossier"insists"
that"he"was"“in"covert"relationship"with"Russia”"and"was"“trying"to"cover"up"scandal"of"
MANAFORT"and"exposure"of"PAGE.”50""It"was"Cohen"who"put"a"plan"to"lift"sanctions"on"Flynn’s"
desk"before"he"was"fired"by"Trump.51""While"Russian"“active"measures”"were"being"carried"out,"
the"Kremlin"was"divided"between"supporters"of"Putin"and"Prime"Minister"Dmitri"Medvedev,"
who"feared"backlash"from"the"sabotage"campaign.""In"October,"as"Clinton’s"victory"looked"more"
likely,"Putin"and"his"operatives"made"a"concerted"effort"to"hide"their"activities,"“to"sweep"it"all"
under"the"carpet"and"make"sure"no"connections"could"be"fully"established"or"proven.”52""After"
the"election"the"deputy"Russian"foreign"minister"readily"admitted"that"“there"were"contacts…."
Obviously,"we"know"most"of"the"people"in"his"[Trump’s]"entourage.”53""" " " "
" Russian"intentions"during"the"election"were"no"secret.""Putin"wanted"to"weaken"the"
western"alliance"so"that"it"could"not"resist"his"imperial"designs"on"Ukraine,"the"Baltic"States,"and"
elsewhere,"while"keeping"Europe"dependent"on"Russian"oil.""“The"goal"is"to"deepen"the"splits,”"

27"
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"
said"former"KGB"officer"Oleg"Kalugin.54""“It’s"to"make"everything"seem"relative,”"added"Obama’s"
ambassador"to"Moscow"Michael"A."McFaul."“It’s"kind"of"an"appeal"to"cynicism.”55""The"aim"was"
“to"create"turbulence”"within"the"United"States,"Alexy"Vendiktov"admitted.""“A"country"that"is"
beset"by"turbulence"closes"up"on"itself—and"Russia’s"hand"is"freed.”56""When"Putin’s"operatives"
feared"that"Clinton"was"going"to"win,"they"posted"that"the"election"was"rigged,"a"line"that"
Trump"promptly"repeated.""Indeed,"his"speeches"often"synchronized"with"Russian"policies:"
critique"NATO,"downplay"Ukraine,"stress"“fake"news,”"deny"hacking,"praise"Putin,"and"promise"
improved"relations.""While"we"will"never"know"exactly"how"many"voters"were"influenced"by"this"
covert"operation,"some"of"its"effects"have"been"measured.""The"massive"email"leaks"on"July"22,"
just"before"the"Democratic"Convention,"again"on"August"12,"and"during"October"were"timed"to"
do"the"most"damage.""By"the"use"of"bots,"Russian"disinformation"spread"exponentially.""We"
know"that"fabricated"pro-Trump"stories"out-circulated"Clinton’s"four"to"one,"a"ratio"that"also"
held"for"pro-Trump"tweets"during"the"three"debates.57""Given"the"degree"to"which"voters"
uncritically"relied"on"the"social"media,"many"thousands"must"have"been"swayed"by"insidious"
slanders.""In"as"close"an"election"as"this"one"was,"that"may"have"been"enough"to"change"the"
outcome.""Clinton"herself"has"recently"stated"in"public"that"Comey’s"intervention"and"Russian"
sabotage"cost"her"the"election."""This"is"probably"true—although"she"might"have"conducted"a"
more"effective"campaign"and"better-informed"voters"should"have"made"better"choices,"in"which"
case"neither"Comey"nor"Putin"could"have"shaped"the"election.""" " " "
" Putin’s"digital"disinformation"campaign"complimented"Project"Alamo,"a"San"Antonio"
operation"run"by"Jared"Kushner’s"crony"Brad"Pascale.""By"using"Cambridge"Analytica—former"
board"member"Steve"Bannon"took"over"the"Trump"campaign"in"August—the"project"compiled"a"

28"
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"
“secret"sauce”"of"algorithms"that"psychologically"profiled"voters"and"applied"“microtargeting”"
to"create"emotive"ads:"“the"dangers"posed"by"the"Islamic"State"could"be"targeted"directly"at"
voters"prone"to"anxiety.”58""Some"13.5"million"“persuadable”"voters"comprised"a"model"called"
“Battleground"Optimizer"Path"to"Victory.”59""For"months"this"audience"received"personalized"
propaganda"on"Facebook,"YouTube,"Twitter"and"other"sites.""In"the"final"week"before"the"
election,"pro-Trump"bots"outperformed"Clinton’s"five"to"one.60""Project"Alamo"wanted"to"
maximize"favorable"turnout"from"swing"voters,"but"Bannon"and"company"also"devised"ways"to"
minimize"Clinton’s"supporters.""“We"have"three"major"voter"suppression"operations"under"
way,”"a"senior"official"boasted,"designed"to"discourage"idealistic"liberals,"young"women,"and"
African"Americans.61""Bernie"Sanders"advocates,"women"troubled"by"Bill"Clinton’s"behavior,"and"
blacks"offended"by"Hillary’s"reference"to"“super"predators”"received"repeated"Facebook"“dark"
posts,”"negative"ads"seen"only"by"the"recipient.""As"we"know,"this"strategy"worked,"depressing"
Clinton’s"turnout"in"states"she"needed"to"win.""Still"unknown"is"how"much"the"bots"of"Russian"
operatives"contributed"to"this"deviously"effective"plan."" " " "
" Nothing"points"more"clearly"to"collusion"between"the"Trump"campaign"and"Putin’s"
people"than"the"ham-handed"efforts"of"the"administration"to"deny"its"involvement.""John"Dean,"
of"Watergate"fame,"spotted"immediately"that"Trump"was"in"full"cover-up"mode.""Trump"has"
used"press"secretary"Sean"Spicer"and"his"craven"crew"of"dissemblers"to"distance"himself"from"
Page,"Manafort,"Stone,"Flynn,"and"the"rest,"while"insisting"that"Russia"hadn’t"interfered"in"spite"
of"overwhelming"proof"that"they"had"launched"a"massive"cyberattack"on"our"election.""“Russia"
is"a"ruse,”"Trump"protested"too"much.""“I"have"nothing"to"do"with"Russia.”62""The"dossier,"in"
particular,"has"aroused"his"irate"twitter-storms:"“It’s"all"fake"news—play"stuff.""It"didn’t"

29"
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"
happen.”63""He"even"resorted"to"capital"letters:"A"COMPLETE"AND"TOTAL"FABRICATION,"UTTER"
NONSENSE,"very"unfair.”64""Not"surprisingly,"Putin"shared"his"opinion,"calling"it"“pulp"fiction.”65""
But"in"July"of"2016"Trump"was"the"one"who"said,"“Russia,"if"you’re"listening,"I"hope"you’re"able"
to"find"the"30,000"emails"that"are"missing.”66""Before"long,"WikiLeaks"released"some"20,000"
from"the"DNC.""This"blatant"bid"for"help"from"a"foreign"country"is"suspect"on"its"face,"but"note"
that"Trump"always"insisted"that"Hillary’s"emails"were"packed"with"classified"information—
therefore"he’s"expressing"the"hope"that"our"major"adversary"would"obtain"and"divulge"highly"
sensitive"secrets"to"aid"his"campaign.""After"his"election"he"was"adamant"that"Russian"meddling"
“had"absolutely"no"effect"on"the"outcome,”67"an"absurd"assertion"that,"it’s"safe"to"say,"is"
absolutely!false,"since"the"issue"is"not"about"no"effect"but"“how"much.”" " "
" In"Trump’s"wasteland,"each"month"is"crueler"than"the"last.""After"an"egregious"first"one-
hundred"days"when"bungling"was"the"norm,"the"testimony"of"former"acting"Attorney"General"
Sally"Yates"on"May"8th"returned"the"Putin"Connection"to"center"stage.""For"months"Trump"had"
tried"to"silence"her,"most"preposterously"by"claiming"that"Obama"had"wiretapped"his"
headquarters"in"New"York.""To"inflate"that"leaden"balloon,"in"late"March"the"hapless"Devin"
Nunes"(R-Cal.),"leader"of"a"congressional"investigation,"was"fed"“secrets”"by"Trump’s"staff,"
brought"back"to"the"White"House"the"next"day"to"regurgitate"them,"and"then"held"a"press"
conference"about"this"“new”"information.""When"Yates"spoke"to"the"Senate"intelligence"
committee,"she"told"of"informing"White"House"counsel"Don"McGahn"on"January"26th"that"Flynn"
had"compromised"himself"by"his"denials"that"he"had"discussed"Obama’s"sanctions"with"Russian"
Ambassador"Sergey"Kislyak,"adding"that"she"considered"Flynn’s"“underlying"conduct”68"as"
“problematic.”69""McGahn"had"her"return"the"next"day"to"inquire"if"Flynn"would"be"prosecuted.""

30"
"
"
Yates"feared"that"McGahn"was"missing"the"point:"“We’re"telling"you"this"so"you"can"act”70"by"
firing"Flynn.""Instead,"Yates"was"fired"while"Flynn"remained"on"the"job"for"eighteen"more"days"
until"the"Washington!Post"exposed"his"deceptions.""" " " "
"Following"a"distinguished"military"career,"Flynn’s"forced"retirement"in"2014"fueled"a"
hatred"for"Obama,"which"he"voiced"on"Fox"News"as"well"as"RT"in"Moscow,"and"led"to"his"dinner"
with"Putin"in"December"of"2015.""Two"months"later"Flynn"joined"the"Trump"campaign"and"gave"
a"rabid"speech"at"the"Republican"convention.""In"August"the"Flynn"Intel"Group"secretly"received"
some"$500,000"(from"a"Turkish"financier"with"ties"to"Putin)"to"slander"and"perhaps"even"kidnap"
Fethullah"Gülen.""He"is"an"influential"cleric"living"in"exile"in"the"Poconos,"whom"Turkish"
President"Erdogan,"during"a"brutal"crackdown"on"his"opponents,"blamed"for"an"attempted"coup"
in"July"2016.71""Seemingly"unaware"that"Flynn"worked"for"Turkey,"on"November"18th"Trump"
named"him"as"his"prospective"national"security"adviser.""In"a"briefing"with"his"counterpart"for"
Obama,"Susan"Rice,"Flynn"urged"her"not"to"arm"the"Kurds,"our"most"reliable"allies"in"the"region,"
as"part"of"a"plan"to"retake"the"ISIS"quasi-capital"of"Raqqa"in"Syria,72"conflict-of-interest"advice"
Erdogan"must"have"applauded.""Although"the"Justice"Department"talked"to"Flynn"in"November"
about"his"activities,"not"until"January"4th,"just"before"it"was"made"public,"did"he"inform"the"
Trump"transition"team"that"he"had"been"a"foreign"agent"for"Turkey."" " " "
" More"suspect"were"Flynn’s"clandestine"communications"with"the"Russians"both"during"
and"after"the"campaign.""He"and"Jared"Kushner,"Trump’s"son-in-law"and"closest"confidant,"met"
with"Kislyak"in"early"December"at"Trump"Tower"in"New"York"to"propose"using"the"latest"Russian"
spy-craft"technology"in"order"to"hold"secret"talks"with"Putin.73""This"was"not,"as"Trump"
apologists"would"have"us"believe,"a"back"channel"for"delicate"diplomacy,"but"rather"a"covert"

31"
"
"
overture"designed"to"elude"U."S."surveillance.""Then"on"December"29th—the"day"that"Obama,"as"
punishment"for"Russian"meddling"in"the"election,"expelled"35"spies,"closed"two"espionage"
compounds,"and"imposed"economic"sanctions—Flynn"contacts"with"ambassador"Sergey"Kislyak"
resulted"in"Putin"not"retaliating"in"kind.""Trump,"a"tad"too"quickly,"tweeted"his"approval:""“Great"
move"on"delay"(by"V."Putin)—I"always"knew"he"was"smart!”74""What"was"the"quid"pro"quo"for"
this"“delay”?""Turning"the"other"cheek"is"not"in"Putin’s"repertoire.""What"promises"were"made?""
Yet"despite"being"under"federal"investigation,"making"surreptitious"contacts"with"Kislyak,75"and"
Obama’s"warning"that"he"was"“not"suitable”"for"the"job,"on"22"January"2017"Flynn"became"
Trump’s"National"Security"Adviser,"and"thus"began"his"24"days"in"office." " " "
"The"evening"of"Yates’s"follow-up"meeting"with"McGahn"in"January,"Trump"invited"FBI"
Director"James"Comey"to"dinner"where"the"president"pressed"him"to"declare"his"personal"
loyalty.""Comey"demurred"while"vowing"to"do"an"honest"job.""Since"Comey"was"three"years"into"
a"ten-year"appointment,"he"was"independent"of"Trump’s"control.""Trump’s"congressional"allies"
had"claimed"that"the"FBI"did"not"share"the"CIA’s"finding"of"Russian"interference"in"the"election,76"
but"Comey"later"confirmed"that"extensive"and"serious"meddling"had"occurred"and"that"the"FBI"
was"investigating"Russian"contacts"with"the"Trump"campaign.""Following"a"national"security"
meeting"in"February,"Trump"drew"Comey"aside"and"made"his"wishes"explicit:"“I"hope"you"can"
see"your"way"clear"to"letting…Flynn"go.""He’s"a"good"guy.""I"hope"you"can"let"this"go.”77""Faced"
with"obvious"intimidation"if"not"obstruction"of"justice,"Comey"replied"that"he"would"do"his"duty.""
Later"Comey"confided"to"colleagues"that"he"found"Trump"“outside"the"realm"of"normal,”"
possibly"even"“crazy.”78""Trump"insisted"in"March"that"Obama"had"wiretapped"Trump"Tower"in"
New"York"and"asked"Daniel"Coats,"director"of"national"intelligence,"and"Mike"Rogers,"head"of"

32"
"
"
NSA,"to"publicly"declare"that"there"was"no"evidence"of"collusion.""They"refused.79""" "
" Comey"resisted"Republican"pressure"to"sidetrack"the"Russian"investigation"in"favor"of"
hunting"down"White"House"insiders"for"damaging"leaks"to"the"press.""Enraged"by"his"inability"to"
control"the"FBI,"Trump"“would"sometimes"scream"at"television"clips"about"the"probe.”80""On"
May"3rd"Comey"testified"that"the"Russian"investigation"was"very"active;"Trump,"encouraged"by"
Kushner,"fired"him"on"May"9th.""Tasked"by"his"boss"Jeff"Sessions,"deputy"attorney"general"Rod"
Rosenstein"provided"a"rationale"based"on"Comey’s"mishandling"of"Clinton’s"email"case.""On"cue,"
Vice"President"Pence"and"Spicer"praised"this"bogus"justification.""“It"was"all"him,”"Spicer"playing"
Gildenstern"said"of"Rosenstein,"aka"Rosencranz.""“It"was"a"DOJ"decision.”81""Trump’s"dismissal"
letter"contained"this"curious"sentence:"“I"greatly"appreciate"your"informing"me,"on"three"
separate"occasions,"that"I"am"not"under"investigation,”82"assurances"that"at"the"time"were"true"
of"an"on-going"investigation.""Trump"tweeted"additional"ruses:"Comey"didn’t"do"a"good"job;"he"
was"“a"grandstander”"and"“a"showboat”—accusations"(like"Obama"being"“bad”"and"“sick”)"that"
fit"the"sender,"not"the"recipient.""The"next"day"at"a"meeting"with"Russian"foreign"minister"Sergei"
Lavrov"and"ambassador"Kislyak"in"the"Oval"Office,"Trump"blurted"out,"“I"just"fired"the"head"of"
the"FBI.""He"was"crazy,"a"real"nut"job.""I"faced"pressure"because"of"Russia.""That’s"taken"off.”83""
Boasting"about"his"“great"intel,”"he"then"disclosed"“code-word"information”"that"jeopardized"
Israeli’s"most"valued"ISIS"informant.84""To"his"discredit,"National"Security"Adviser"H."R."McMaster"
called"this"costly"gaff"“wholly"appropriate.”85""In"an"interview"with"NBC’s"Lester"Holt,"Trump"
made"a"shambles"of"his"own"spokespeople:"“I"was"going"to"fire"Comey.""My"decision…"
regardless"of"recommendations”86"because"of"“this"Russia"thing.”87"These"blunders"only"
worsened"Trump’s"dilemma.""To"restore"his"reputation,"Rosenstein"appointed"former"FBI"

33"
"
"
Director"Robert"J."Mueller"III"as"a"special"prosecutor.""Respected"for"his"integrity"by"both"parties,"
he"now"represents"our"best"hope"of"discovering"the"truth"about"the"Putin"Connection.""" "
" The"recent"focus"on"Jared"Kushner’s"covert"contacts"with"Russian"officials"adds"a"key"
piece"to"the"puzzle"and"brings"the"investigation"home"to"the"president’s"most"trusted"go-
between"with"foreign"leaders.""Kushner"shares"with"Trump"an"arrogant"self-assurance"instilled"
by"the"tooth-and-claw"world"of"Manhattan"real"estate"deals.""His"nonchalance"conceals"a"nasty"
streak.""After"his"father"Charles"was"convicted"by"then"U."S."attorney"Chris"Christie"for"“Illegal"
campaign"contributions,"tax"evasion,"and"witness"tampering”"in"2005,88"to"“redeem”"the"family"
name"Kushner"bought"666"Fifth"Avenue"for"a"cool"$1.8"billion,"a"record-breaking"purchase"
turned"overleveraged"albatross,"since"a"$1.2"billion"payment"is"coming"due.""Last"year"Kushner"
oversaw"the"skilled"digital"efforts"that"resulted"in"“our"first"Facebook"president.”89""Before"the"
election,"Kushner"assured"Trump"that"“if"the"New!York!Times"and"cable"news"mattered,"he"
would"be"at"1"percent"in"the"polls.”90""Despite"Kushner’s"inexperience"in"American"government"
or"foreign"affairs,"a"grateful"Trump"has"over-burdened"him"with"an"international"portfolio"of"
duties"far"beyond"the"thirty-six-year-old’s"capabilities.""" " " " "
" During"and"after"the"campaign"Kushner"met"with"senior"Russian"officials,"capped"by"his"
attempt"in"early"December"to"establish"secret"talks"between"Trump"and"Putin.""Two"weeks"later"
he"met"with"Sergey"Gorkov,"a"graduate"of"the"KGB-like"FSB,"who"represented"VEB,"a"
sanctioned,"Kremlin-aligned"bank.""It"provided"cover"for"Svgeny"Buryakov,"a"spy"convicted"of"
trying"to"recruit"Carter"Page.""Described"by"one"Russia"expert"as"“Putin’s"slush"fund,”91"VEB"
helped"finance"that"lucrative"money-laundering"scheme"known"as"the"Sochi"Olympics.""Gorkov’s"
previous"bank"sponsored"Trump’s"Miss"Universe"Pageant"in"Moscow.""VEB"claimed"that"the"

34"
"
"
issue"discussed"at"the"meeting"was"the"Kushner"family"business,"while"the"White"House"said"it"
was"diplomacy.""Neither"explanation"is"likely.""Kushner"met"with"Gorkov"shortly"after"he"spoke"
with"Kislyak.""You"don’t"need"to"avoid"U.S."intelligence"to"float"a"loan"or"solve"the"Syrian"
conflict.""Probably,"the"basic"topic"was"how"to"lift"sanctions"without"raising"suspicions.""Whether"
the"collusion"was"explicit"or"implied,"the"Trump"campaign"and"Russian"operatives"needed"each"
other"to"“weaponize”"Putin’s"cyberattack"and"ensure"an"electoral"victory.""Why"else"so"many"
secret"meetings"with"our"major"enemy"while"ignoring"or"insulting"our"allies?"""Why"else"would"
Sessions,"Flynn,"and"Kushner"“forget”"Russian"contacts"on"their"security"clearance"forms?""
" If"Kushner"was"a"major"player"in"these"covert"activities,"then"Trump"knew"exactly"what"
was"going"on.""Immediately"following"his"meeting"with"Kushner,"Gorkov"flew"to"Japan"to"talk"to"
Putin.""On"January"11th,"Trump"supporter"Erik"Prince,"founder"of"the"infamous"private"security"
enterprise"Blackwater,"met"a"Putin"representative"far"from"prying"eyes"in"the"Seychelles"Islands"
in"the"Indian"Ocean.92""Following"his"inauguration,"Trump’s"people"tried"to"unilaterally"lift"
sanctions"on"Russia"but"were"blocked"by"a"few"Senators.""In"late"May,"Secretary"of"State"Rex"
Tillerson"offered,"without"preconditions,"to"return"the"two"Russian"“diplomatic”"compounds.""
Why"has"the"administration"persisted"in"its"efforts"to"placate"Putin?"" " " "
" Nowadays"Trump’s"DC"residence"is"easy"to"locate:"It’s"the"large"white"house"encircled"by"
wagons"and"defended"by"Keystone"Cops.""The"sycophants,"alt-right"ideologues,"and"family"
members"have"a"“war"room”"and"are"lawyering"up.""The"“adults”"brought"in"to"curb"Trump’s"
unhinged"behavior"have"failed"at"the"cost"of"their"integrity.""“There"is"no"evidence"of"collusion"
between"our"campaign"and"any"Russian"officials,”"Mike"Pence"insisted.""“Let"me"be"very"clear"
about"that”93—thus"echoing"Nixon,"who"prefaced"his"biggest"whoppers"with"the"same"words.""

35"
"
"
How"long"can"Pence"keep"playing"ingénue?""His"falsehoods"in"defense"of"Trump"have"been"
repeatedly"exposed.""Trump’s"own"apologetics"perversely"feed"his"delusions"of"grandeur:"the"
Russian"investigation"is"the"“single"greatest"witch"hunt"in"American"history,”94"and"“No"
politician"in"history,"and"I"say"this"with"great"surety,"has"been"treated"worse"or"more"unfairly.”95""
Meanwhile,"more"commentators"are"asking"with"Eugene"Robinson,"“Have"you"ever"seen"a"
cover-up"with"no"underlying"crime?”""And"answer"with"him,"“Neither"have"I.”96" " "
" Whether"the"Putin"Connection"is"ever"proven"in"court,"or"whether"Trump’s"malfeasance"
amounts"to"“high"crimes"and"misdemeanors”"remains"to"be"seen.""But"it"is"clear"that"our"
democracy"can"not"long"endure"a"Trump"presidency.""His"every"day"in"office"erodes"our"basic"
values"and"our"hard-won"standing"in"the"world.""His"idea"of"the"big"picture"is"to"gaze"into"a"full-
length"mirror,"hence"our"through-the-looking-glass"foreign"policy"that"has"offended"our"allies"
and"encouraged"our"enemies.""Domestically"he"has"talked"like"a"populist"and"ruled"like"a"
plutocrat.""The"only"swamp"he"ever"drained"was"an"edge"of"the"Everglades"to"build"a"golf"
course.""Trump"has"triumphed"in"the"only"thing"he"truly"cares"about:"dominating"the"mass"
media.""Even"if"he"steps"down,"we"have"the"on-going"problem"of"a"Republican"Party"unprepared"
to"face"and"incapable"of"fixing"our"country’s"most"pressing"problems.""Beyond"that"lies"the"
disconcerting"fact"that"sixty-million"American"voters"saw"Trump"as"presidential"timber.""""
" Above"all,"Trump"has"demonstrated"the"fragility"of"our"democracy.""For"our"system"of"
government"to"survive,"good"people"have"to"do"the"right"thing.""To"date,"our"free"press"has"held"
its"ground.""Factual"reporting"has"trumped"fake"news.""The"heroic"reporters"of"the"Munich!Post"
would"be"proud.""Now"as"citizens"we"must"be"informed,"speak"up,"share"our"concerns,"protest,"
vote"the"bums"out."

36"
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"
1"Donald"J."Trump,"with"Meredith"McIver,"Trump:!Think!like!a!Billionaire"(N.Y.:"Random"House,"2004)."
2""Ron"Rosenbaum,"Explaining!Hitler:!The!Search!for!the!Origins!of!His!Evil"(N.Y.:"Random"House,"1998),""37."
3"Ibid,"43."
4"Ibid,"41."
5"Singer"quoted"in"Mark"Danner,"“The"Real"Trump,”"The!New!York!Review!of!Books"(22"December"2016),"12."
6"Elizabeth"Drew,"“Troubling"Trump,”"The!New!York!Review!of!Books"(15"February"2017).""
7"Jane"Mayer,"“The"Goldwater"Rule,”"The!New!Yorker"(22"May"2017),"28."
8"Schwartz"quoted"in"Dana"Milbank,"“It’s"terrifying"when"it’s"always"‘really"sunny,’”"Washington!Post"(29"January"
2017),"A"19."
9"Tony"Schwartz,"“I"wrote"The!Art!of!the!Deal"with"Trump.""His"self-sabotage"is"rooted"in"his"past,”"Washington!Post"
(16"May"2017)."
10"Ibid."
11"Trump"quoted"in"George"Packer,"“Official"Duties,”"The!New!Yorker"(27"February"2017),"21."
12"Ibid."
13"Michael"Gerson,"“Trump"spirals"into"ideological"psychosis,”"Washington!Post"(17"October"2016)."
14"Serge"Kovaleski"of"The!New!York!Times."
15"Roth"quoted"in"Judith"Thurman,"“Roth"on"Trump,”"The!New!Yorker"(30"January"2017),"19."
16"George"Will,"“Trump"has"a"dangerous"disability,”"Washington!Post"(3"May"2017)."
17"David"Remnick,"“First"as"Tragedy,”"The!New!Yorker"(20"March"2017),"30."
18"Aaron"Blake,"“13"remarkable"quotes"from"people"who"voted"for"both"Barack"Obama"and"Donald"Trump,”"
Washington!Post"(4"May"2017)."""
19"Gerson,"“Trump"spirals.”""
20"Dan"Balz,"“Scholar"asks,"‘Can"democracy"survive"the"Internet?’”"Washington!Post"(23"April"2017),"A2.""Baltz"refers"
to"a"forthcoming"essay"by"Nathaniel"Persily"in"the"Journal!of!Democracy"that"discusses"how"Trump"was"able"to"
“swamp"the"communication"environment”"in"a"way"that"was"extremely"damaging"to"American"democracy."""
21"Clinton,"quoted"in"E."J."Dionne,"Jr.,"Why!The!Right!Went!Wrong:!Conservatism!from!Goldwater!to!the!Tea!Party!
and!Beyond"(N."Y.:"Simon"&"Schuster,"2016),"133."
22"Reagan,"quoted"in"Godfrey"Hodgson,"The!Myth!of!American!Exceptionalism"(New"Haven:"Yale"University"Presss,"
2008),"110."
23"See"Thomas"Frank,"What’s!the!Matter!with!Kansas?""As"well"as,"“Why"They"Won,”"The!New!York!Times"(5"
November"2004),"A27.""
24"Abraham"Lincoln,"“The"Object"of"Government,”"1"July"1854."
25"Henry"Adams,"The!Education!of!Henry!Adams"(Boston:"Houghton"Mifflin,"1974)."
26"J."D."Vance,"Hillbilly!Elegy:!A!Memoir!of!a!Family!and!Culture!in!Crisis"(N.Y.:"Harper/Collins,"2016),"127,"146-47,"4."
27"Clinton"quoted"in"Thomas"Frank,"Listen,!Liberal:!Or!What!Ever!Happened!to!the!Party!of!the!People?"(N."Y.:"
Metropolitan"Books,"2016),"69."
28"Jeff"Guo,"“The"disease"killing"white"Americans"goes"way"deeper"than"opioids,”"Washington!Post"(22"March"
2017).""See"also,"Joel"Achenbach"and"Dan"Keating,"“New"Research"identifies"a"‘sea"of"despair’"among"white,"
working-class"Americans,”"Washington!Post"(23"March"2017)."
29"Robert"Frost,"“Neither"Far"Out"Nor"In"Deep.”"
30"Churchill"read"these"words"of"an"unknown"author"in"the"House"of"Commons"on"11"November"1947;"the"Wilde"
quote"is"from"memory"and"can’t"be"verified;"Mencken,"A!Little!Book!in!C!Major"(N.Y.;"John"Lane,"1916)."
31"Lebowitz"quoted"in"Garry"Wills,"“Where"Evangelicals"Came"From,”"The!New!York!Review!of!Books"(20"April"2017)."""
32"Karoun"Demirjian"and"Devlin"Barrett,”"How"a"dubious"Russian"document"influenced"the"FBI’s"handling"of"the"
Clinton"probe,”"Washington!Post"(24"May"2017).""The"document"was"received"from"a"previously"suspect"source"in"
March"and"by"August"the"FBI"determined"that"it"was"unreliable"“junk.”""Comey"will"testify"in"closed"session"on"it."
33"Matt"Apuzzo,"Michael"S."Schmidt,"Adam"Goldman,"and"Eric"Lichtblau,"“Comey"Tried"to"Shield"the"F.B.I."from"
Politics.""Then"He"Shaped"an"Election,”"The!New!York!Times"(22"April"2017);"Michael"Kranish"and"Lynh"Bui,"“Some"
are"puzzled"by"depty"AG’s"central"role"in"the"drama"of"Trump"and"Comey,”"Washington!Post"(10"May"2019)."
34"Ibid.,"in"May"the"Washington!Post!reported"that"the"number"was"far"smaller—a"few"hundred"to"a"handful."
35"Ibid."
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

37"
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
36"Blake,"“13"remarkable"quotes.”"
37"Dana"Milbank,"“Now"we"know"Bill"Clinton"cost"his"wife"the"presidency,”"Washington!Post"(3"May"2017)."
38"Apuzzo,"et."al.,"“Comey"Tried"to"Shield"the"F.B.I.”"""
39"Trump"quoted"in"Evan"Osnos,"David"Remnick,"and"Joshua"Yaffa,"“Active"Measures:"What"lay"behind"Russia’s"
interference"in"the"2016"election—and"what"lies"ahead?”"The!New!Yorker"(6"March"2017),"40."
40"Donald"Trump,"Jr.,"quoted"in"Bonnie"Berkowitz"and"Denise"Lu,"“Here’s"what"we"know"so"far"about"Team"Trump’s"
ties"to"Russian"interests,”"Washington!Post"(29"March"2017)."
41"Matthew"Yglesias,"“33"questions"about"Donald"Trump"and"Russia,”"Vox"(20"February"2017)."
42"Ali"Watkins,"“A"Former"Trump"adviser"met"with"a"Russian"Spy,”"BuzzFeed!News"(3"April"2017)."
43"Jeffrey"Toobin,"“The"Dirty"Trickster:"Campaign"tip"from"the"man"who"has"done"it"all,"The!New!Yorker"(2"June"
2008)."
44"Rosalind"S."Helderman"and"Tom"Hamburger,"“Who"is"‘Source"D’?""The"man"said"to"be"behind"the"Trump-Russia"
dossier’s"most"salacious"claim,”"Washington!Post"(29"March"2017)."
45"“Company"Intelligence"Report"2016:"Donald"Trump’s"Activities"in"Russia”"(20"October"2016),"BuzzFeed!News"(10"
January"2017),"1-35."""
46"Jeff"Stein,"“National"Security"Adviser"Mike"Flynn,"Security"Risk,”"Newsweek"(11"February"2017)."
47"Ned"Parker,"Jonathan"Landay,"and"Warren"Strobel,"“Trump"campaign"had"at"least"18"undisclosed"contacts"with"
Russians,”"Reuters"(19"May"2017)."
48"“Company"Intelligence"Report,”"2,"27.""
49"Ibid,"1,"7,"8,"28-29."
50"Ibid.,"15,"7,"18,"20,"30,"33.""Some"accounts"say"Flynn"was"paid"$33,000."""
51"Megan"Twohey"and"Scott"Shane,"“A"Back-Channel"Plan"for"Ukraine"and"Russia,"Courtesy"of"Trump"Associates,”"
New!York!Times"(19"February"2017)."
52"Ibid.,"14,"33.""
53"Michael"S."Schmidt,"Mark"Mazzetti,"and"Matt"Apuzzo,”"Trump"Aides"Had"Contact"with"Russian"intelligence,”"New!
York!Times,"Section"A"(15"February"2017),"1ff.""
54"Osnos,"et."al.,"“Active"Measures,”"42."
55"Craig"Timberg,"“Russian"propaganda"effort"helped"spread"‘fake"news,”"during"election,”"Washington!Post"(24"
November"2016).""
56"Osnos,"et."al.,"“Active"Measures,”"55."
57"Ibid.,"52:"Balz,"“Scholar"asks,”"A2."""
58"Sue"Halpern,"“How"He"Used"Facebook"to"Win,”"The!New!York!Review!of!Books"(17"May"2017),"59-61."
59"Joshua"Green"and"Sasha"Issenberg,"“Inside"the"Trump"Bunker,"With"Days"to"Go,”"Bloomberg!(27"October"2016)."
60"Craig"Timberg,"“‘Something"fishy’"is"going"on"with"Trump’s"Twitter"account,"researchers"say,”"Washington!Post"
(31"May"2017)."
61"Ibid."
62"Andrew"Morantz,"“Trolling"the"Press"Corps,”"The!New!Yorker"(20"March"2017),"61."
63"David"Nakamura"and"Abby"Phillip,"“Trump"acknowledges"Russia’s"involvement"in"meddling"in"U."S."elections,”"
Washington!Post"(11"January"2017)."
64"Ibid."
65"Osnos,"et."al.,"“Active"Measures,”"44."
66"Kathleen"Parker,"“Trump"is"the"star"of"his"own"movie.""Here’s"a"review,”"Washington!Post"(13"December"2016)."
67"Osnos,"et."al.,"“Active"Measure,”"42."
68"Elizabeth"Drew,"“The"Presidency"in"Peril,”"The!New!York!Review!of!Books"(22"June"2017)."
69"Ryan"Lizza,"“Firing"Back:"How"Sally"Yates"stood"up"to"the"President,”"The!New!Yorker"(29"May"2017),"24-25."
70"Ibid.,"25."
71"Matt"Zapotosky,"Sari"Horwitz,"Devlin"Barrett,"and"Adam"Entous,"“Jared"Kushner"now"a"focus"in"Russia"
investigation,”"Washington!Post"(25"May"2017).""Some"of"Gülen’s"followers"were"involved"in"the"coup.""See"Dexter"
Filkins,"“The"Thirty-Year"Coup,”"The!New!Yorker"(17"October"2016)."
72"Aaron"Blake,"“The"White"House’s"absolutely"brutal"night,"in"6"headlines,”"Washington!Post"(18"May"2017).""
73"Ellen"Nakashima,"Adam"Entous,"and"Greg"Miller,"“Russian"ambassador"told"Moscow"that"Kushner"wanted"secret"
communications"channel"with"Kremlin,”"Washington!Post!(26"May"2017)."
74"Kurt"Eichenwald,"“Why"the"Flynn-Russia"Affair"is"so"troubling"for"Donald"Trump,”"Newsweek"(21"February"2017)."

38"
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75"Greg"Miller"and"Adam"Entous,"“Flynn"was"warned"by"Trump"transition"officials"about"contacts"with"Russian"
ambassador,”"Washington!Post"(27"May"2017)."
76"Adam"Entous"and"Ellen"Nakashima,"“Trump"asked"intelligence"chiefs"to"push"back"against"FBI"collusion"probe"
after"Comey"revealed"its"existence,”"Washington!Post"(22"May"2017)."
77"Ruth"Marcus,"“Why"did"Trump"want"no"witnesses?”"Washington!Post"(17"May"2017)."
78"Mayer,"“Goldwater"Rule.”"
79"Amber"Phillips,"“The"three"most"damaging"paragraphs"from"the"revelation"about"Trump"pushing"back"against"the"
FBI,”"Washington!Post"(22"May"2017)."
80"James"Hohmann,"with"Breanne"Deppisch,"“Firing"FBI"director"Comey"is"already"backfiring"on"Trump.""It’s"only"
going"to"get"worse,”"The!Daily!202,!Washington!Post,"(10"May"2017)."
81"Aaron"Blake,"“Trump"just"decimated"the"White"House’s"entire"James"Comey"narrative,”"Washington!Post""(11"
May"2017)."
82"Philip"Rucker,"Ashley"Parker,"Sari"Horwitz,"and"Robert"Costa,"“Inside"Trump’s"anger"and"impatience—and"his"
sudden"decision"to"fire"Comey,”"Washington!Post"(10"May"2017)."
83"Erica"Werner"and"Eileen"Sullivan,"“Trump"says"firing"‘nut"job’"Comey"took"off"pressure,”"Washington!Post"(20"
May"2017)."
84"Greg"Miller"and"Greg"Jaffe,"“Trump"revealed"highly"classified"information"to"Russian"foreign"minister"and"
ambassador,”"Washington!Post"(15"May"2017)."
85"Dana"Milbank,"“Trump"can"do"whatever"he"wants,”"Washington!Post"(17"May"2017)."
86"Blake,"“Trump"decimated"narrative.”"
87"Aaron"Blake,"“Vice"President"Pence"has"a"growing"credibility"problem,”"Washington!Post!(18"May"2017)."
88"David"Freedlander,"“Meet"the"Real"Jared"Kushner,”"Politico"(25"May"2017)."
89"Halpern,"“How"He"used"Facebook.”"
90"Green"and"Issenberg,"“Inside"Trump"Bunker.”"
91"David"Filipov,"Amy"Brittain,"Rosaline"S."Heiderman,"and"Tom"Hamburger,"“Explanations"for"Kushner’s"meeting"
with"head"of"Kremlin-linked"bank"don’t"match"up,”"Washington!Post"(1"June"2017)."
92"Nakashima,"et."al.,"“Russian"ambassador"told"Moscow.”"
93"Blake,"“Vice"President"Pence.”"
94"Abby"Phillip,"“Trump"can’t"stop"talking"about"the"Russia"probe—even"if"continuing"might"hurt"him,”"Washington"
Post"(18"May"2017)."
95"Dana"Milbank,"“How"Trump"inspired"a"golden"age,”"Washington!Post"(21"May"2017)."
96"Eugene"Robinson,"“What"is"happening"under"the"secrecy?”"Washington!Post"(12"May"2017)."