INDEX

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of the book. Each link will take you to the beginning of the corresponding print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader.

A

Abbas, Mahmoud, 195
ABC News, 37–38, 237
Abdi, Mazloum Kobani, 250
Abdullah, Abdullah, 130
Abdullah II of Jordan, 180
Abdulmutallab, Umar Farouk, 273
Abdul-Wahhab, Muhammad bin, 174
Abqaiq-Khurais attack, 302
“Abraham Accords,” 291
Abrams, Elliott, 62–63
Abu Dhabi, 171
Academi (Blackwater), 140–41
Access Hollywood tape, 46, 82
Advisory Board, 306
Afghan Constitution of 2004, 264
Afghanistan, 125, 127–53. See also Kabul; Taliban
- al-Qaeda in, xvi–xvii, 129, 132, 133, 134, 149, 158, 263
- Britain and, 143
- Camp David meeting of 2017, 157–59
- China and, 128
- CIA and, 129, 133, 143, 146, 154, 157–58
- McMaster and, 130–31, 132–37, 140, 141–42, 144–46, 149–52, 153–54, 158–59
- meeting of May 2017, 135–37
- mineral resource wealth of, 127–28
- NATO support of, 225–26
- Obama and, 26–27, 55, 129–31, 131, 158n, 159
- Pakistan and, 131, 132–33, 134, 150, 266
- Prince’s plan for use of contractors, 140–44
- Russian support of Taliban, 226–27
- “South Asia strategy” for, 158–60, 159n, 161–62, 259
- Soviet-Afghan War, 133, 264
- Trump and. See Trump, Donald, and Afghanistan
- U.S. withdrawal of troops, xi, xvi–xvii, 260–68, 291
Agnew, Spiro, 190
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud, 283
Air Force One, 82, 136, 172, 173, 175–76, 228, 320
Ali, Javed, 151–52
Al Jazeera TV, 177, 181
Allen, John, 307
All Things Considered, 307
Al-Manar, 282
al-Qaeda, 28–29, 29, 36, 74–76, 273
- in Afghanistan, xvi–xvii, 129, 132, 133, 134, 149, 158, 263
- in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), 75–78
- in Iraq, 26, 85–86, 102, 105, 115, 116, 289–90
- in Saudi Arabia, 181
- in Syria, 250, 254–55
- in Yemen, 273
“alt-right” movement, 19
altruism, 294
Al Udeid Air Base, 179–81, 240
American Civil War, 14
American Prospect, 156–57
Andrews Air Force Base, 172, 189, 320
anti-Semitism, 272
Apprentice, The, 47–48, 253
Arab News, 204
Arab Spring, 20, 115, 168
arms sales, 191, 207
Artan, Abdul Razak Ali, 96
Art of the Deal, The (Trump), 257
Aspen Security Forum, 29, 123, 231
Aspen Strategy Group, 38–39
al-Assad, Bashar, 20, 96, 111–24, 169, 229, 241–45
- chemical weapons use by, 111–15, 241–44, 290
- Kellogg on bombing of Assad, 82–83
- Trump orders strikes, 113–16
Assange, Julian, 65
Atlantic, The, 306, 312
Atlantic Council, 232
Australia, 5, 152, 179, 214
“authoritarian model,” 251
al-Awdah, Salman, 182
al-Awlaki, Anwar, 76
“axis of adults,” 14, 16, 251, 290, 308–9
“axis of evil,” 33

Baath Party, 74, 115

Badasch, Megan, 152
al-Baghdadi, Abu Bakr, 21–22, 118

B

Baghdad U.S. embassy of 2018, 246
Bagram Air Base, 26, 28
Bahrain, 291
Bannon, Steve
- Afghanistan and, 135, 140–41, 145–46, 150, 151–52
- background of, 4, 6
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3–9, 12–13, 14, 15
- as “chief strategist” in White House, 60–61
- departure of, 154–57, 162, 163
- election of 2016, 25, 39–40
- foreign policy views of, 4–6, 9
- “Javanka” and, 154
- Mattis and, 4–7
- McMaster and, 9, 145–46, 151–52, 153, 155
- on National Security Council, 70–71, 72, 88
- North Korea and, 213
- presidential transition and, 45–47, 59
- Special Initiatives Group, 72
- Syria and, 112, 113
- travel ban and, 98, 105
- Trump’s inaugural address, 67–68
- UAE and, 171–72
- Yemen and, 76–77
Baradar, Mullah, 265, 267
Barrack, Thomas, 170
Barrett, Amy Coney, xxi
Bash, Dana, 307
Bastille Day, 287–88
Battle of Midway, 287
Battle of Mosul, 118–19, 123
Battle of Raqqa, 118–19, 121, 122
Battle of 73 Easting, 85, 281
Battle of Tal Afar, 86, 104
BBC, 162, 226–27
Becket, Thomas, 199
Belgium, 103
Bell, Michael, 73–74
Bellinger, John, III, 38
Benghazi attack, 28, 60
Berlin Christmas market attack, 96
Biden, Hunter, 309
Biden, Joe, xv
- Afghanistan withdrawal, xvi–xvii, 291
- election of 2020, 221, 318
- Mattis and, 308
Biegun, Steve, 189
bin Laden, Osama, 32, 174, 241, 263
- Khashoggi and, 203–4
- raid and death of, 17, 28–29, 46, 74, 114, 116, 160–61, 213, 238, 290
Birx, Deborah, 317
Blackwater (Academi), 140–41
Bloomberg News, 182, 202
Bolton, John
- Afghanistan and, 267
- background of, 83, 84, 190–91, 279
- as Fox News analyst, 34n, 84, 298
- Iran and, 84, 246, 279, 280–81, 282
- Iran nuclear deal, 191–92, 280
- Khashoggi’s murder and, 203–4
- Mattis and, 189–90, 246–47
- national security adviser appointment, 83, 84, 189–92, 218, 243, 280
- North Korea and, 84, 218–19, 221, 281
- Putin and Russia, 232
- resignation of, 309
- Syria and, 243, 248, 249, 254–55
- Trump’s relationship with, 243, 281
- Ukraine phone call, 309
- Venezuela and, 281
border. See Mexico-United States border
Bossert, Tom, 119–20, 135, 146, 152, 190
Bossie, David, 47
Bowers, Robert, 272
“Bowling Green massacre,” 101–2
Boxer, USS, 283
Boyle, Josh, 160–61
Bradley, David, 306–7
Breitbart News, 4, 72, 152
Brennan, John, 65–66, 69
- security clearance of, 237–38
Brennan, Margaret, 307
Brexit, 228, 300
Britain, 197, 291
- Afghanistan and, 135, 143
- Iran and, 185–87, 280, 283
- NATO and defense spending, 11, 225, 226n, 291
- Putin and Russia, 227
- Trump’s visit to, 228–29
Broadwell, Paula, 57, 82
Brookfield Properties, 193n
Brooks, Vincent, 312
Brown, Tina, 305
Bundy, McGeorge, 88
Bush, George H. W., 53–54, 183, 290, 312
Bush, George W., 239
- Afghanistan and, 27, 121–22
- “axis of evil,” 33
- Iraq and, 53, 74, 289
- officials serving in administration of, 24, 38, 57, 189, 190, 191, 305, 307
- Putin and, 233
- Saudi Arabia and, 240–41
- September 11 attacks, xv–xvi
Bush, John Ellis “Jeb,” 22

Caddell, Pat, 40n

C

Call Sign Chaos (Mattis), 305–8
Camp David, 157–59, 216, 268
Canada, 225, 228, 273, 291
Capitol riots of 2021, xv–xvi, 318–20
Carlson, Tucker, 63, 266, 281, 298, 299
Carl Vinson, USS, 214
Caslen, Robert, 83–84
Cavuto, Neil, 314
CBS, 81, 207, 247, 307
Celebrity Apprentice, The, 65
Cengiz, Hatice, 201
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), xx
Central American migrant caravans, 271, 272, 274
Central Command (CENTCOM), 8, 27, 51, 52, 74, 81, 102, 114, 116, 128, 180, 185, 186, 246, 248, 252
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Afghanistan and, 129, 133, 143, 146, 154, 157–58
- ISIS and Syria, 111
- Khashoggi’s murder and, 202–3, 207
- Putin and Russia, 227
- Russian interference in election of 2016 and, 63–67
- Special Activities Division, 146
- Trump’s attacks on, 296–98
- Trump’s visit to, 68–69
Cernovich, Mike, 152
Chad, travel ban, 106
Chao, Elaine, 319
Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, 155–56
chemical weapons, 112, 115
- Russia’s use of, 227, 232
- Syria’s use of, 111–16, 232–33, 241–44, 280, 290
Chemical Weapons Convention, 115
Cheney, Dick, 74
Chertoff, Michael, 24
China, 5, 11, 13, 40, 55, 66, 72, 73, 89, 169n, 193, 207, 214, 231, 283, 291–95
- Afghanistan and, 128
- “clash of civilizations” and, 293
- cyber espionage, 292, 292n, 293
- global warming and, 295–96
- Iran and, 185, 186
- Kushner and, 61, 193, 194
- Mattis and, 241
- national security strategy on, 231
- North Korea and, 215–16
- Saudi Arabia and, 208
- South China Sea, 215, 294–95
- Space Force and, 295
- trade and tariffs, 293–94, 308
- trade deficit, 55, 292n
- Trans-Pacific Partnership, 7, 129, 292
“China virus,” xxi
Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, 275
Christie, Chris, 31, 45–47
Churchill, Winston, 223, 283
Clapper, James, 30, 65
Clausewitz, Carl von, 125
climate change, 7, 295–96
- Paris Climate Agreement, xix–xx, 7, 60, 193, 295, 296
Clinton, Bill, xvii, 190, 247
Clinton, Hillary, 26, 190, 300
- election of 2016, 20, 23–24, 31–32, 39–40, 41–42, 65–66, 100, 207, 239, 307
- Libya and, 20
- Pizzagate conspiracy, 34, 152
- Russia and, 233
CNBC, 176
CNN, 29, 31, 66, 72, 78, 82, 115, 142, 172, 203, 239, 251, 307, 312
Coats, Dan, 153, 296–98
- at Aspen Security Forum, 231
- ISIS and, 124
- Kim and North Korea, 220, 297
- Putin and Russian interference, 229–30, 297
- resignation of, 296–97
- Senate Intelligence Committee testimony, 220, 297
coercive interrogations, 289
Cohen, Eliot, 24, 51, 307
Cohen-Watnick, Ezra, 151
Cohn, Gary, 136–37, 251, 290, 308
- Afghanistan and, 145–46
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3–4, 7–12, 15
- Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and, 155–56
Cold War, 290
Coleman, Caitlan, 160–61
Colombia, 134
Comey, James, 65–66, 172
Conley, Sean, 317
conspiracy theories, 299–300
- election of 2020, 318–19
- Obama “birther,” 17, 19
- Pizzagate, 34, 152
- Ukraine and election of 2016, 310
Constitution, U.S., 230
Conway, Kellyanne, 101–2
Cooper, Anderson, 82, 203
Corker, Bob, 57–58
Corvinus University, 34–35
Costa, Christopher, 75
Cotton, Tom, 62, 83
Council on Foreign Relations, 305–6
Counter-Terrorism Service (Iraq), 104, 117–18, 123–24
COVID-19 pandemic, xx–xxii, 314–17
crime, 68, 100–101
Crocker, Ryan, 261
cross-border terrorism, 271–75
Cuba, 33
Cuban Missile Crisis, 279
Cursius, Patrick, 269, 275
cyber espionage, 292, 292n, 293

Daily Caller, 152

D

Damascus, 241–42
Daniels, Mitch, 46
Darwinism, 294
Dearborn, Rick, 47
“deep state,” 71, 89, 91, 150–51, 255
Defeating Jihad (Gorka), 36
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), 27–29, 30, 152
defense spending, 226, 245, 288
Democratic National Committee (DNC), 63–64, 66, 189
Dempsey, Martin, 312
Denmark, 299
Dereliction of Duty (McMaster), 79, 86–87, 88, 132–33, 308
devoir de réserve, 252
DeVos, Betsy, 141, 319
DHS. See Homeland Security, Department of
Dobbs, Lou, 298
Doha Forum, 249, 263
Dominican Republic, 144
Dominion Voting Systems, 318
Donnelly, Sally, 5
Dover Air Force Base, 77
Dunford, Joseph
- Afghanistan and, 13–14, 134–35, 147–48, 149, 158, 267
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 7, 13–14
- Syria and, 242, 243–44, 249–50
- Yemen and, 76–77
DynCorp International, 142–43

Easterly, Jen, 75

E

East Germany, 228
East India Company, 143n
Egypt, 54, 62, 168, 187
Eisenhower, Dwight, 50, 214
elections. See also presidential election of 2016; presidential election of 2020
- of 2018, 246–47, 271, 272
electronics ban of 2017, 122
Ellis, Michael, 151
El Paso shooting, 269, 275
El Salvador, 274
Emiratis. See United Arab Emirates
Envoy, The (Khalilzad), 262
Erdogan, Recep Tayyip, 41, 201, 209, 248–49, 254, 255
Esper, Mark, 309, 311, 313
European Union, 151, 229
- Brexit and, 228, 300
Evans, Harold, 305
evolution, 294
ExxonMobil, 13, 58–59, 176, 180, 187

Facebook, 21, 152

F

Faisal bin Turki al-Faisal, 201, 204
“fake news,” 172, 233, 298, 307
Fallujah, 118, 123, 144
Fanone, Michael, 319
FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), 134
Farook, Syed Rizwan, 21–22
Fauci, Anthony, xxi, 314, 315–16
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 152
- Flynn and, 81
- Gorka and, 35
- hostage-takers, 161n
- Russian interference in election of 2016 and, 64–65
- travel ban and, 96–97
- Trump’s attacks on, 230, 296–97
Federalist, 162
Feinberg, Stephen, 142–43
Field of Fight, The (Flynn), 32–33, 35–36
financial crisis of 2008, 289, 301
Fixing Failed States (Ghani), 262
Flournoy, Michèle, 61–62, 307
Flynn, Charlie, 27
Flynn, Lori, 27
Flynn, Michael, 66, 307
- background of, 25–30
- conspiracy theories of, 33–34, 318
- departure of, 81, 253
- as DIA head, 27–29, 30, 32
- election of 2016 and, 25–26, 30–34, 41–42, 307
- election of 2020 fraud claims, 318
- ISIS and, 119, 120
- McChrystal and, 26–27, 32, 48–49
- national security advisor appointment, 42, 46, 57, 70–73, 74, 81–82
- political lobbying of, 30–31
- Putin and Russia, 31, 66, 69–70
- Russia Today and, 31, 66
- Saudis and, 30, 171
- terrorism and, 28–30
- Trump’s consideration as running mate, 31
- UAE and, 171–72
- Yemen and, 76–77, 149
Flynn, Michael, Jr., 34
“Flynn facts,” 28
Flynn Intel Group, 30
Foley, James, 21, 117, 161n
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), xx, 316
Ford, Carl, 191
Fort Myer, 159
Fourth Armored Division (Syria), 243
Fourth Turning, The (Strauss and Howe), 6
Fox & Friends, 272
Fox News, 19, 25, 34, 63, 71, 77, 84, 176, 207, 217, 233, 239, 247, 266, 272, 298–99, 315, 316
France, 274, 291
- Afghanistan and, 225
- Bastille Day celebration in, 287–88
- Iran nuclear deal and, 185, 280
- ISIS and, 103
- NATO and defense spending, 11, 226, 226n, 291
- terrorist attacks in, 21, 22, 23, 102
“freedom of navigation” exercises, 294–95
“free-riding,” 11
Friedman, David, 192

Gates, Robert, 57–58

G

Gaza, 193, 197, 291
Geltzer, Joshua, 61, 77, 98
“Geographical Pivot of History, The” (Mackinder), 89
George Floyd protests, 310–12
Georgia, 231
Germany, 54, 274, 291
- Afghanistan and, 225
- Iran nuclear deal and, 185, 280
- NATO defense spending, 11, 226, 226n, 291
- Russia and, 228, 229
Ghani, Ashraf, 127, 130, 260–61, 262, 264, 268
Gingrich, Newt, 31, 31n
Giuliani, Rudy, 56, 310, 319
Glasser, Susan, 307
Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, 61, 119, 249
global warming. See climate change
Goldberg, Jeffrey, 306
Goldfein, David, 247
Goldman Sachs, 4, 8, 90
Goldwater, Barry, 190
Goodspeed, Tyler, 319
Gorka, Sebastian, 34–36, 298
- Afghanistan and, 142
- background of, 34–35
- departure of, 162–63
- Qatar blockade, 180
- “radical Islamic terrorism,” 90
- Special Initiatives Group, 72
- travel ban and, 98
Graham, Lindsey, 22, 199, 208, 267
Greenblatt, Jason, 197
Greenland, 299
Greff, Byron, 225
Grisham, Stephanie, 319
GRIZZLY STEPPE, 64
Group of Seven (G7) summit, 227–28
Group of 20 (G20) summit, 221, 233
Guam, 214
Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, 52, 107, 289
Gulen, Fethullah, 41
Gulf of Oman incident, 281–82
Gulf War, 85, 86, 183, 281, 290

Haass, Richard, 305, 306

H

Haberman, Maggie, 172
Hadley, Steve, 38–39
Haley, Nikki, 195–96, 215–16, 232–33
Hamas, 196
Hannity, Sean, 152, 298, 316
Haqqani network, xvii, 160–61
Hariri, Saad, 183
Harvey, Derek, 74, 113, 151, 180
Harward, Bob, 81–82
Haspel, Gina, 207, 267, 309
Hastings, Michael, 27
Hawaii, 106, 214
Hayden, Michael, 39
Hazaras, 262
Hegseth, Pete, 272
Helmsley, Leona, 17
Helsinki summit, 229–31, 237–38, 246, 290, 297
Henry II of England, 199
Heyer, Heather, 155
Hezbollah, 20, 152, 169, 171, 183, 282
Higgins, Rich, 150–51
Hill, Fiona, 74
Ho Chi Minh, 261
Hofstadter, Richard, 269
Homeland Security, Department of (DHS), 52–53
- Kelly’s appointment, 52–53
- laptop ban and, 122
- Mexican border, 274, 299
- Russian interference in election of 2016, 64
- travel ban and, 96–101
Honduras, 274
Hook, Brian, 187
Hoover Institution, 186, 189, 252–53
Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, 161n
House Intelligence Committee, 60, 151
Houthis, xix, 183–84, 282
Hundred-Year Marathon, The (Pillsbury), 5
Hussein, Saddam, 20, 36, 74, 85–86, 183
hydroxychloroquine, xx, 314–15

Ignatius, David, 307

I

immigrants, 40, 301, 307. See also Mexico-United States border
- crime and, 100–101
- cross-border terrorism and, 271–75
- in military, 307
Independence Day (2019), 287–88, 300–301
India, 5, 143n
Ingraham, Laura, 17, 152
Inhofe, James, 29
intellectual property theft, 292, 292n, 293
intelligence agencies, xviii, 63, 72–73. See also specific agencies
- Trump’s attacks on, 230, 296–99
International Atomic Energy Agency, 185, 280
International Criminal Court, 191
International Monetary Fund (IMF), 173
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), 131, 160
iPhone, 195
Iran, 279–83, 302
- Bolton and, 191–92, 279–82
- calling off of air strikes, 279–80, 290, 299
- economic sanctions, 12, 185, 192, 255, 280, 281–83, 290
- Gulf of Oman incident, 281–82
- Mattis and, 51–52, 185–86, 187
- nuclear deal, xviii, 12–13, 52, 168–69, 184–88, 191–92, 297
- nuclear program of, 12–13, 52, 54, 60, 168–69, 184–88, 191–93, 280–83, 291, 297, 301
- oil in, 282
- Syria and, 169, 184–85, 254–55
- travel ban and, 97, 106
Iranian Revolution, 174
Iranian shooting down of American drone, 51–52
Iraq, 4–5, 24–27, 29–31, 36, 73–75, 191, 289–90
- al-Qaeda in, 26, 85–86, 102, 105, 115, 116, 289–90
- Bush and, 53, 74, 289
- Counter-Terrorism Service of, 104, 117–18, 123–24
- Flynn and, 26–27
- ISIS in, 29–30, 36–37, 104, 117–19, 123–24, 134
- McMaster in, 85–87, 104–5, 128, 138n
- Obama and, 128–29, 130, 134, 159, 242, 250, 268, 308
- oil of, 120–21
- travel ban and, 97, 98, 103–5
- U.S. withdrawal of troops, 128–30, 134, 159, 242, 250, 268, 308
- weapons of mass destruction, 63–64
Iraq after America (Rayburn), 73–74
Iraqi refugees, 101–2
ISIS, 20–21, 23, 29–33, 36–37, 115–16, 119–24, 161n
- in Afghanistan, 128, 130, 131–32, 134, 138, 158, 159
- Foley murder, 21, 117, 161n
- in Iraq, 29–30, 36–37, 104, 117–19, 123–24, 134
- laptop bomb plot of, 122
- Obama and, 20–21, 29–32, 118–23
- Saipov and, 106–7
- Saudi Arabia and, 179
- Sri Lanka jihadi attack, 124
- in Syria, 20–21, 41, 54, 90, 111, 115–17, 121–24, 138–39, 249–50, 254–55, 289–90
- travel ban and, 96, 98, 103–6
- U.S. withdrawal of troops from Syria and, 248–51, 254–55, 259, 290
- Yazidis and, 116–17, 123
Islam (Muslims)
- move of U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, 192–93, 195–96, 290
- Muslim Brotherhood, 20, 54, 62, 177, 180, 181, 203–4
- Obama on, 176–77
- September 11 attacks and, 19–20, 38
- sharia law and, 20, 33, 264
- Wahhabi, 173–75
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), 169, 281–82
Islamic terrorism. See also terrorism
- al-Qaeda. See al-Qaeda
- ISIS. See ISIS
- “Islamist” terrorism vs., 89–90, 177
- September 11 attacks, 19–20, 174, 225
- Taliban. See Taliban
- travel ban and, 22, 23, 91, 93, 95–107
Islamophobia, 33, 35, 96
- Obama allegations, 17, 19–20
- Trump and, 19–20, 21–23, 37–38, 96, 100, 226, 271
- use of “radical Islam,” 25–26, 29–30, 33, 36, 55, 67, 89–90, 95, 177
Israel, 10, 55, 138, 152, 153, 171, 179, 195–97, 254
- “Abraham Accords,” 291
- U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, 192–93, 195–96, 290
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 169–70, 172, 192–93, 195–97, 291

Jackson, Andrew, 69

J

Jackson, Thomas “Stonewall,” 155
Japan, 5, 10, 11, 214
Jerusalem, 192–93, 195–96, 290
Jobs, Laurene Powell, 306
Jobs, Steve, 306
Johnson, Boris, 99, 228
Johnson, Jeh, 305
Johnson, Lyndon, 57, 79
- McMaster’s Dereliction of Duty and, 79, 86–87, 88, 132, 308
Johnson, Samuel, 285
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), 7, 13, 25, 26, 28, 48, 75, 116
Jones, Van, 78
Jordan, 156, 180, 187
al-Jubouri, Najim, 104–5
“Judeo-Christian civilization,” 6
Justice Department, U.S., 100, 103, 296

Kabul, 27, 129, 132–33, 261–62

bombings, 132, 139, 225, 268
U.S. withdrawal, xvi–xvii

K

Karzai, Hamid, 264
Keane, Jack, 298
- Afghanistan and, 55, 265–66
- Iraq War and, 53
- North Korea and, 217
- Putin and Helsinki summit, 230–31
- secretary of defense offer to, 251
- Syria and, 254–55, 265, 299
- Trump’s relationship with, 53–55, 56
- turning down secretary of defense, 49–50
Keane, Terry, 49
Kellogg, Keith, 24–25
- acting national security advisor, 82–83, 83n
- Afghanistan and, 135
- ISIS and, 119
- Pence’s national security adviser, 83n, 309
Kelly, John
- Afghanistan and, 148–49
- “axis of adults,” 251, 290
- Bannon and, 155
- as chief of staff, 52, 154
- criticism of Trump, 312
- departure of, 253
- DHS appointment, 52–53, 57
- Kushner’s clearance and, 194
- Mattis and, 154, 253, 307
- McMaster and, 137
- Mexican border and, 274
- NATO and, 228
- North Korea and, 217–18
- Petraeus and, 57
- at SOUTHCOM, 52, 53, 274
- travel ban and, 98–99
- Trump’s break with, 253
Kelly, Karen, 52
Kelly, Mary Louise, 307
Kelly, Ray, 305
Kelly, Robert, 148–49
Kennan, George, 36
Kennedy, John F., 19, 68, 279
KGB, 227, 230, 233, 264
Khalid bin Salman, 202–3
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), 107
Khalilzad, Zalmay, 260–61, 262–65, 267–68
Khan, Humayun, 37
Khan, Imran, 266
Khan, Khizr, 37–38
Khan, Sadiq, 229
Khan Sheikhoun chemical weapon attack, 111–15
Khashoggi, Jamal, 201–9
- bin Laden and, 203–4
- murder of, xix, 165, 201–9, 290
Khomeini, Ayatollah, 41
Kim Dong Chul, 161n
Kim Hak-song, 161n
Kim Jong Un, 161n, 207, 215–17, 218, 297. See also Trump, Donald, and Kim Jong Un
Kim Kye-gwan, 219
Kim Sang Duk, 161n
King, Angus, 185
King, Kevin, 161n
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 287, 300–301
King, Rodney, 311
Korean War, 219
Korkie, Pierre, 75
Kudlow, Larry, 308
Kunduz, 130
“kung flu,” xxi
Kurdistan, 241
Kurds (Kurdish forces), 41, 90, 121–22, 124, 241, 248, 250–51, 254, 255
Kushner, Charles, 47
Kushner, Jared, 193–95
- Bannon and, 154
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 8, 14
- Christie and presidential transition, 47
- COVID-19 pandemic and, 315
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, 169–70, 172, 192–93, 195–97, 291
- as key foreign policy advisor, 308
- McFarland and NSC, 88–89
- McMaster and, 83–84, 90
- North Korea and, 213, 281
- presidential transition, 47, 56, 62
- Saudi Arabia and MBS, 168, 169–70, 175–76, 181–83, 195, 203–4
- security clearance of, 193–95
- 666 Fifth Avenue and, 193n
- Syria and, 113
- UAE and, 170–72
- Yemen and, 76–77
Kuwait, 10, 183, 289, 290

laptop ban of 2017, 122

L

Latvia, 292
Lebanon, 169, 183
Ledeen, Michael, 33
Lee, Robert E., 155, 156
LeFrak, Richard, 156
Lewandowski, Corey, 22, 25
Libya, 20, 31, 54, 180
- Benghazi attack, 28, 60
- travel ban and, 97, 106
“Libya model” for North Korea, 218–19
Lincoln, Abraham, 14, 301
Lincoln Memorial, 287, 288
Lockhart, Clare, 262
Lockheed Martin, 81
Lockheed Martin F-35s, 292
“Lock her up!” chants, 32, 307
London, 106, 229
Los Angeles riots of 1992, 311
Louis XIV of France, 285
Lowell, Abbe, 194

MacArthur, Douglas, 311, 313

M

McChrystal, Annie, 27
McChrystal, Stanley
- Afghanistan and, 48, 130–31, 237
- Flynn and, 26–27, 32, 48–49
- Iraq War and, 26–27, 48
- resignation of, 27, 48–49, 237
- secretary of defense consideration of, 48–49
McConnell, Mitch, 319
McConville, James, 318
McCord, Mary, 103
MacDill Air Force Base, 120
McFarland, K. T., 71–72, 88–89, 298, 305
MacFarland, Sean, 36, 122–23
McGahn, Don, 194
Macgregor, Douglas, 281
McGurk, Brett, 61, 119–20, 249
Machiavelli, Niccolò, 285
Mackinder, Halford, 89
McMaster, H. R.
- Afghanistan and, xvi–xvii, 130–37, 140, 141–42, 144–46, 149–52, 153–54, 158–59, 186
- Ali and, 152
- background of, 85–87
- Bannon and, 9, 145–46, 151–53, 155
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3, 8–9
- conservative attacks on, 152–53
- departure of, 189–90, 253
- Dereliction of Duty, 79, 86–87, 88, 132–33, 308
- in Gulf War, 85, 86, 183, 281
- Iran nuclear deal and, 185, 187, 188
- in Iraq War, 85–87, 104–5, 128, 138n
- ISIS and, 121
- on Islamist terrorism, 89–90
- Jubouri and, 104–5
- Mattis and, 8, 253
- national security adviser appointment, 83–84, 88–91, 138n
- North Korea and, 213, 214, 216
- Putin and Russia, 152–53, 231, 232
- Saudi Arabia and, 172, 185
- Syria and, 112–13, 121, 241
- travel ban and, 104–5, 106
- Trump’s relationship with, 136–37, 138–39, 138n
- war injury of, 138n
McMasterleaks.com, 152
McRaven, William H., 46, 235, 238–39
- open letter to Trump from, 238–39
Macron, Emmanuel, 287–88
Maduro, Nicolás, 281
Mahan, Alfred Thayer, 4
Malik, Tashfeen, 21–22
Manafort, Paul, 39
Mar-a-Lago, 83, 84–85, 96, 113, 136, 195, 251
Marcus Aurelius, 51
Marine Corps University, 35
Marshall, George C., 7, 50
Marxists, 151
Mateen, Omar, 22
Mattis, James “Mad Dog,” 239–47
- Afghanistan and, 132–33, 139, 143–44, 145, 147–50, 154, 158, 186
- “axis of adults,” 14, 16, 251
- background of, 51–52
- Bolton and, 189–90, 246–47
- border wall and, 246–47
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3, 7, 9–10, 13–15
- Call Sign Chaos, 305–8
- criticism of Trump, 312
- Iran and, 51–52, 185–86, 187
- in Iraq War, 4–5, 7, 51, 128
- ISIS and, 119
- NATO and, xix, 6, 50, 231, 245–46, 251
- North Korea and, 216–17, 219
- Petraeus and, 57
- Putin and Russia, 231
- Qatar blockade and, 179–81, 240
- resignation of, 239, 251–53, 299–300
- Saudi Arabia and, 179–81, 208
- secretary of defense appointment, 50–51, 61–62, 68
- secretary of defense swearing in, 95–96, 95n
- South Korea and, 137–38, 249
- Syria and, 113–14, 241–45, 249, 250–51
- travel ban and, 95–96, 104, 105, 106
- Trump’s break with, 239–40, 241, 246–47, 253
- Yemen and, 76–77, 209
May, Theresa, 69–70, 228–29
MBS. See Mohammed bin Salman
Meadows, Mark, 317
Mecca, 174, 175
Medina, 175
Mencken, H. L., 93
mercantilism, 294
Merkel, Angela, 167, 226, 228
Mexico, 61, 152, 193, 291
Mexico-United States border, 33, 246–47, 271–75
- active-duty soldiers deployed at, 246–47
- terrorism and migrants, 271–75
- Trump border wall, 56, 251, 271–72, 274
Mighty Wind, A, 137
military, 288, 302–3
- immigrants in, 307
Miller, Stephen
- anti-immigrant sentiments of, 100–101, 103
- background of, 67
- Tillerson and, 188
- travel ban and, 98, 99, 103
- Trump’s inaugural address, 67–68
Milley, Mark
- appointment of, 247–48
- Capitol Hill riot and, 319–20
- Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and, 156
- Trump’s photo op at St. John’s Church, 311, 313
“misinformation conversation,” xxi–xxii
Mitchell, Andrea, 231
Mnuchin, Steve, 7–8, 12–13, 197
MOABs (Massive Ordnance Air Blast bombs), 131–32, 217
Moderna, 316
Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ), 171–72
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), xix, 167–68, 173–75, 181–83, 195, 282
- Khashoggi’s murder and, 201–9, 290
- purge in Saudi Arabia, 181–83
- Qahtani and, 206
- Qatar blockade and, 183
- White House lunch, 167–68, 172
- women’s right to drive and, 175, 182
Mohib, Hamdullah, 264–65
Mongolia, 281
Moon Jae-in, 218
Morsi, Mohamed, 62
Mosul, 21, 118–19, 123
Moynihan, Daniel Patrick, 298
MSNBC, 101
Mubarak, Hosni, 54, 168
Mueller, Robert, 172, 229, 287
Muhammad, 177, 192
Mukasey, Michael, 24
Mullen, Mike, 312
Mulvaney, Mick, 309, 319
Munich Security Conference, 189
Muslim Brotherhood, 20, 54, 62, 177, 180, 181, 203–4
Muslims. See Islam
Muslim travel ban. See travel ban
Mutreb, Maher Abdulaziz, 202

Nagl, John, 139

N

National Counterterrorism Center, 29, 61
National Defense University, 35
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), 213–14
National Security Agency (NSA), 64–65
National Security Council (NSC), 8, 59–60, 70–74, 82, 88–91, 90–91, 194, 246
- Afghanistan and, 135–36, 144, 150–52, 259
- Bannon on, 70–71, 72, 88
- hostage-takers, 161n
- Kellogg and, 82–83
- McMaster and, 150, 151–52, 189, 190
- Syria and, 112–13
- travel ban and, 98
National Security Presidential Memorandum 3, 119–20
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
- Afghanistan and, xvii, 4, 144, 147, 225–29, 323
- Article 5, 225
- defense spending, 11, 225–26, 226n, 245
- Mattis support of, xix, 6, 50, 231, 245–46, 251
- Syria and, 255
- Trump and. See Trump, Donald, and NATO
Nauert, Heather, 298
Navarro, Peter, 308, 315–16
Navy SEALs, 25, 32, 75–76, 105, 140, 146–47
Nayef, Mohammed bin, 181
Nazis, 35, 155, 192
NBC, 21, 69, 231, 307
neoconservatism, 32–33, 83
Netanyahu, Benjamin, 40, 192, 196–97
Never Trump movement, 24, 25, 38–39, 46, 48, 51, 61, 62, 307
Newsmax, 318
Newton-John, Olivia, 84
New York and New Jersey bombing of 2016, 23
New York City attack of 2001. See September 11 attacks
New York City attack of 2017, 106–7
New Yorker, 29, 305, 307, 309
New York Military Academy, 301–2
New York Post, 33, 47–48
New York Times, 10, 39, 65, 87, 172–73, 191, 233, 283, 315–16
New York Times Magazine, 240
Nicaragua, 144
Nice, terrorist attack in, 23
Nicholson, John “Mick,” 130, 131–32, 147–48, 226–27, 307
Nielsen, Kirstjen, 299
9/11 attacks. See September 11 attacks
Nixon, Richard, 190, 283
Nobel Peace Prize, 220, 221
North Korea, 156–57, 185, 213–22, 246, 297. See also Kim Jong Un
- China and, 215–16
- economic sanctions, 213, 215–16, 220–21
- hostages in, 161n
- “Libya model” for, 218–19
- missile launches, 214–15
- nuclear program of, 157, 161n, 185, 213–22, 246, 281, 297, 308
- travel ban and, 106
- Novichok, 227
- nuclear weapons, 10
- Iran and, 12–13, 52, 54, 60, 168–69, 184–88, 191–93, 280–83, 291, 297, 301
- North Korea and, 157, 185, 213–22, 246, 281, 297, 308
Nunes, Devin, 151

Obama, Barack, 26, 57

“birther” conspiracy, 17, 19
Cairo speech on Islam, 176–77
China and, 294–95
commander in chief role of, 288–89
defense budgets of, 288
hostage takers, 161n
McChrystal and, 237
Mattis and, 51–52, 252, 299–300, 308
Merkel and, 226
Muslim allegations against, 17, 19–20
NATO and, 226
North Korea and, 213
Russia and, 233
Russian interference in election of 2016 and, 63, 64, 67, 81
terrorism and, 29–31, 36–37
Trump’s meeting with, 59–61

O

Obama, Barack, and Middle East policy, 20–21, 28–32, 168–69, 289
- Afghanistan and, 26–27, 55, 129–31, 131, 158n, 159
- Bin Laden raid, 17, 28–29, 46, 114, 116, 213, 238, 290
- Iran nuclear deal, xviii, 52, 168–69, 184–86, 188
- Iraq, 128–29, 130, 134, 159, 242, 250, 268, 308
- ISIS, 20–21, 29–32, 118–23
- Saudi Arabia, 168, 169, 170, 172, 176–77
- Syria, 20–21, 112, 116–17, 121–23, 161n
- Yemen, 75–76
Obamacare, 46
“Obama derangement syndrome,” 32
O’Brien, Robert, 281
Ohio State University attack, 96
oil (oil prices), 120–21, 173, 254–55, 282–83, 302
Oman, 120
“One Belt, One Road” policy, 5
Operation Green Sword, 131–32
Operation Warp Speed, 316
Orlando nightclub shooting, 22–23
Ortagus, Morgan, 298
al-Otaiba, Yousef, 170–71
Ottoman Empire, 9
Owens, Carryn, 78
Owens, Ryan, 105
Owens, William “Ryan,” 76–78
Ozark Mountains of Missouri, 217

Pace, Peter, 46

P

Page, Carter, 24–25
Pakistan, 58, 267, 273, 289
- Afghanistan and, 131, 132–33, 134, 150, 266
- capture of KSM, 107
- hostages in, 160–61
- Inter-Services Intelligence, 131, 160
- “South Asia strategy,” 159n
- travel ban and, 97–98
Palestinian Brotherhood, 180
Palestinians. See Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Papadopoulos, George, 24–25
Paris
- Bastille Day celebration in, 287–88
- terrorist attacks in, 21, 22, 102
Paris Climate Agreement, xix–xx, 7, 60, 193, 295, 296
Paris Peace Accords, 261
Patriot missiles, 137, 186
Patterson, Anne, 62
Patton, George, 51, 252, 313
Paul, Rand, 63
Pelosi, Nancy, 310
Pence, Mike
- Afghanistan and, 153–54
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 13, 14–15
- COVID-19 pandemic and, 315
- election of 2016 and, 31
- Kellogg as national security adviser, 83n, 309
- Mattis’ swearing in, 95–96
- North Korea and, 216
- presidential transition and, 46–47, 49, 50, 58, 81
Perez, Evan, 29
Peshmerga. See Kurds
Petraeus, David
- in Afghanistan, 130–31, 266
- in Iraq War, 27, 51, 53, 56, 73–74, 74, 87
- national security adviser consideration, 81–82
- secretary of state consideration, 56–57
Pfizer, 316
Phares, Walid, 24–25
Pillsbury, Michael, 5
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, 272
Pizzagate conspiracy, 34, 152
PJMedia.com, 152
Podesta, John, 34, 65, 189
“political correctness,” 33, 36
Politico, 139
Pompeo, Mike
- Afghanistan and, xvi–xvii, 143, 146, 153–54, 157–58, 262, 267
- Benghazi attack, 60
- at CIA, 60, 146, 230
- Mattis and, 251
- North Korea and, 218
- Saudi Arabia and, 184
- secretary of state appointment, 189, 218, 309
- Syria and, 249
- Yemen and, 209
Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, 311
Pottinger, Matthew, 72–73, 319
Powell, Colin, 84, 312
Powell, Dina, 90
Powell, Sidney, 318
Presidential Command (Rodman), 89
presidential election of 2016
- Russian interference in, 63–67, 207, 229–31, 232
- Trump and. See Trump, Donald, and election of 2016
presidential election of 2020, 221, 316–17, 318
- fraud claims, xv, 318–19
President’s Daily Brief, 82, 194
Priebus, Reince
- Afghanistan and, 140–41
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 14
- chief of staff, 52, 60–61, 154
- firing of, 240n
- Syria and, 113
Prince, Erik, 140–44
Prince Sultan Air Base, 240–41
Putin, Vladimir, 227–33, 300
- Afghanistan and, 264–65
- Flynn and, 31, 66, 69–70
- G20 meeting, 233
- Helsinki summit, 229–31, 237–38, 246, 290, 297
- Hill and, 74
- NATO and, xviii–xix, 227–29, 238
- Russia and U.S. election of 2016, 65–66, 207, 310
- Syria and, 112, 232–33, 250
- Tillerson and, 58–59
- Trump and. See Trump, Donald, and Putin
Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, 218

el-Qaddafi, Muammar, 20, 54, 219

al-Qahtani, Saud, 206

Q

Qatar, 177–79, 249, 265
- blockade and diplomatic crisis, 140, 178–81, 183, 240, 242
- Khashoggi’s murder and, 204–5
- Kushner and real estate, 193n
Qatar News Agency, 178, 179

“radical Islam” (“radical Islamic terrorism”), 25–26, 29–30, 33, 36, 55, 67, 89–90, 95, 177

R

Rahami, Ahmad Khan, 23
Ramadi, 118, 123
Raqqa, 118–19, 121, 122
Rasmussen, Nick, 29, 61
Ratcliffe, John, 297–98
Rayburn, Joel, 73–74
Reagan, Ronald, 38, 62, 67, 71, 83, 84, 190, 231, 290
Reagan Defense Forum, 246
“reciprocal altruism,” 294
Redfield, Robert, 315
Regeneron, 317
Reince, Staff, 240
Remnick, David, 29
Republican National Convention (2016), 31–32, 307
Republican Party, 57, 187, 294, 301, 306
- Never Trump movement in, 24, 25, 38–39, 46, 48, 51, 61, 62, 307
- travel ban and, 101
Ressam, Ahmed, 273
Rice, Condoleezza, 58, 86
Rice, Susan, 59–60, 129
Ricks, Tom, 139
Riyadh, 172–77, 178–79, 201–2, 207
Rodman, Peter, 89
Rodriguez, Leon, 97
Rogers, Mike, 60, 65
Rolling Stone, 27, 48
Rollins, Ed, 31n
Romney, Mitt, 48
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 7, 12
Ross, Wilbur, 127–28, 176
Russia, 226–33. See also Putin, Vladimir
- Afghanistan and, 264–65
- economic sanctions, 64, 81–82, 232–33
- Germany and, 228, 229
- GRU in, 229
- McMaster and, 152–53, 231, 232
- Syria and, 112–15, 138–39, 232–33
- Ukraine and, 67, 228, 231, 232
- U.S. national security strategy document, 231–32
Russian interference in election of 2016, 63–67, 207, 229–31, 232
Russia Today (RT), 31, 66

al-Saadi, Abdul-Wahab, 117–18, 123

S

Sageman, Marc, 35
Saipov, Sayfullo, 106–7
Salman, King of Saudi Arabia, 168, 175–76, 183, 196, 205, 208, 248
Salman, Mohammed bin. See Mohammed bin Salman
San Bernardino attack, 21–22
Sanders, Sarah, 84, 219, 228, 238, 272–73
Saudi Arabia, 10, 167–84, 240–41
- Abqaiq-Khurais attack, 302
- China and, 208
- Gulf of Oman incident, 281–82
- Khashoggi’s murder, xix, 165, 201–9, 291
- Kushner and, 168, 169–70, 175–76, 181–83, 195, 203–4
- MBS’s purge, 181–83
- Qatar blockade, 178–81, 183, 240, 242
- Syria and, 178, 205, 248
- Trump and. See Trump, Donald, and Saudi Arabia
- Trump’s state visit, 172–73, 175–77, 207, 290
- U.S. aid and arms sales to, 175, 176, 207, 208, 209
- Wahhabism in, 173–75
- women’s right to drive in, 175, 182
- Yemen and, xix, 169, 183–84, 208–9
Saudi Aramco, 173
Saunders, Thomas A., III, 35
Schadlow, Nadia, 90
Schlapp, Mercedes, 298
Schmitz, Joe, 24–25
Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 65
Scowcroft, Brent, 70, 89
Senate Armed Services Committee, 130, 144, 185
Senate Homeland Security Committee, 97
Senate Intelligence Committee, 36, 220, 297
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), 113–14
Seoul, 214–15
September 11 attacks, 19–20, 174, 225
- twentieth anniversary, xv–xvi
Sessions, Jeff, 47, 144–45
- Afghanistan and, 144–45, 153–54
- travel ban and, 103–5
Shaghati, Talib, 104
Shahzad, Faisal, 273
Shanahan, Patrick, 252
sharia law, 20, 33, 264
Shia Islam, 28, 74, 115, 117, 174, 178, 182, 246, 302
Shine, Bill, 298
Sims, Cliff, 211
Singapore summit, xvii, 219–21, 246
60 Minutes, 207, 247, 295
Skinner, Kiron, 293
Smith, Dana Shell, 180
Smith, Shepard, 247
Soleimani, Qasem, 302
Somalia, 31, 96, 289
- travel ban and, 97, 106
Somers, Luke, 75
Soros, George, 152, 272
South China Sea, 215, 294–95
Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), 52, 53, 274
South Korea, 10, 137–38, 157, 214, 217–18, 221, 246, 253, 299
- Korean War, 219
Soviet-Afghan War, 133, 204, 264
Soviet Union. See also Russia
- Cold War, 290
- Korean War and, 219
Space Force, 295
Special Initiatives Group (SIG), 72
Special Operations Command (SOCOM), 120
Spicer, Sean, 76–77
“Squad, the,” 301
Sri Lanka jihadi attack, 124
Stahl, Lesley, 247
Stalin, Joseph, 208
Stanekzai, Sher Mohammad Abbas, 264
Stern, Howard, 37
Stewart, Corey, 203
Stitt, Kevin, xx
Strait of Hormuz, 281–82, 283
Sturgess, Dawn, 227
Sudan, travel ban, 97, 106
Sunni Islam, 28, 74, 115, 117, 173–75, 308
Sun Tzu, 162–63, 257
Surrender Is Not an Option (Bolton), 190–91
Sweeney, Kevin, 5
Syria (Syrian Civil War), 64, 241–45, 254–55, 289–90
- chemical weapons use, 111–16, 232–33, 241–44, 280, 290
- hostages in, 161n
- ISIS in, 20–21, 41, 54, 90, 111, 115–17, 121–24, 138–39, 249–50, 254–55, 289–90
- Kellogg on bombing of Assad, 82–83
- Kurdish forces in, 41, 121–22, 124, 248, 250, 254, 255
- Obama and, 20–21, 112, 116–17, 121–23, 161n
- travel ban and, 96–97, 106
- Trump orders strikes, 113–16
- U.S. aid to, 196
- U.S. military forces in, 122, 123
- U.S. military strikes against, 242–45, 280, 290
- U.S. withdrawal of troops, 248–51, 254–55, 259, 260, 289, 290, 299
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 124, 248–51
Syrian refugees, 23, 96–97, 107, 226

Taiwan, 73

T

Tal Afar, 86, 104
Taliban, 4, 55, 128, 130–34, 161–62, 226–27
- Haqqani network, xvii, 160–61
- Quetta Shura of, 267
- Russia and, 226–27
- takeover of Afghanistan, xvi–xvii
- Trump administration’s negotiations with, xvi–xvii, 259–68, 283, 291
tariffs, 193, 228, 229, 293–94
taxes, 46, 155
Tel Aviv, 192, 290
terrorism (terrorist attacks), 21–24, 29–30, 41, 229, 289. See also Islamic terrorism; and specific attacks
- alleged cross-border, 271–75
- media coverage of, 101–3
- travel ban and, 97–98, 100–107
- by U.S. citizens, 97–98, 101, 105–6, 271, 272, 274–75
THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), 137–38
al-Thani, Tamim bin Hamad, 178–79, 242
Thomas, Raymond “Tony,” 120, 123
Thucydides, 109
Tillerson, Rex, 179–81, 299
- Abrams and, 62–63
- Afghanistan and, 133, 140, 145, 150
- “axis of adults,” 14, 16, 251
- background of, 13, 58–59
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3, 7, 12–15
- “Club of Two,” 8, 9–10
- at Exxon, 13, 58–59, 176, 180, 187
- firing of, 188–89
- Iran nuclear deal and, 185, 187, 188
- lack of focus of, 140
- North Korea and, 162, 216
- Qatar blockade and, 178–81
- Saudi Arabia and, 58, 172, 176, 178–81
- secretary of state appointment, 58–59, 62–63
- Syria and, 112–13, 140
- travel ban and, 105
- UNRWA and, 196
Todd, Chuck, 43
Townsend, Frances, 24, 48
trade, 4, 7–8, 14, 56, 62, 310
- China and tariffs, 73, 203, 292n, 293–94, 308
- Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), 7, 129, 292
trade deficit, 10, 11–12, 15, 55, 292n
transgender military ban, 241
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), 7, 129, 292
travel ban, xxi, 23, 93, 95–105
- “dissent channel” cable, 99–100
- execution of, 97–100
- Syrian refugees and, 96–97, 107
- terrorism and, 97–98, 100–107
Trudeau, Justin, 228
Truman, Harry, 36, 77–78, 115
Trump, Donald
- Access Hollywood tape, 46, 82
- Afghanistan policy. See Trump, Donald, and Afghanistan
- America First policy of (Trump Doctrine), 4, 9, 10–11, 13, 15, 68, 71, 128, 138, 150, 163, 191, 207, 245, 253–54, 289, 300
- attacks on intelligence agencies, 230, 296–99
- briefing of July 20, 2017, 3–16
- bullying of, 299–300
- cavalier approach to national security, 194–95
- Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and, 155–56
- China and trade, 73, 207, 291–95, 308
- CIA visit, 68–69
- climate change and, xix–xx, 7, 295–96
- commander in chief role, 287–302
- conspiracy theories of, 17, 19, 299–300, 310, 318–19
- COVID-19 pandemic and, xx–xxii, 314–17
- defense budget of, 288
- election of 2016. See Trump, Donald, and election of 2016
- election of 2020, 316–17
- election of 2020 fraud claims, xv, 318–19
- embrace of dictators, xix, 207, 291
- ending America’s foreign wars, 259–68
- hostage-takers and, 160–61, 161n
- impeachment of, 309–11
- inaugural address of, 67–68
- Independence Day speech of 2019, 287–88, 300–301
- Iran and, 281–83, 302
- Iran nuclear deal, 12–13, 184–89, 191–92
- ISIS and, 109, 115–16, 119–24
- Islamophobia of, 19–20, 21–23, 37–38, 96, 100, 226, 271
- last year in office, 313–20
- “misinformation conversation,” xxi–xxii
- national security strategy of, 24–25, 231–32, 293
- NATO and. See Trump, Donald, and NATO
- North Korea and, 213–22. See also Trump, Donald, and Kim Jong Un
- photo op at St. John’s Church, 311–13
- presidential transition of. See Trump, Donald, presidential transition of
- revolt of the generals, 237–55
- Russia and, 226–33. See also Trump, Donald, and Putin
- September 11 attacks, xv–xvi, 19, 20
- South Korea and THAAD, 137–38
- State of the Union (2019), 259–60
- Syria policy. See Trump, Donald, and Syria
- terrorism and the border, 271–75
- travel ban of. See travel ban
- Ukraine phone call, 309–10
Trump, Donald, and Afghanistan, 13–14, 125, 127–53, 259–60, 289
- Biden’s withdrawal, xvi–xvii
- Camp David meeting, 157–59
- meeting of May 2017, 135–37
- meeting of July 19, 2017, 147–50
- meeting of July 26, 2017, 153–54
- meeting with veterans, 146–47, 148
- Prince plan, 140–44
- rules of engagement, 139–40
- skepticism about war, 127, 129, 130, 134–36, 150
- “South Asia strategy,” 158–60, 159n, 161–62, 259
- Taliban peace negotiations, xvi–xvii
- U.S. withdrawal of troops, 260–68
Trump, Donald, and 2016 election, 20, 21–25, 35–43, 96, 100, 109, 115–16, 127, 169, 176–77, 207, 223, 301
- Flynn and, 25–26, 30–31
- Gold Star family controversy, 37–38
- Russian interference, 63–67, 207, 229–31, 232
Trump, Donald, and Kim Jong Un, xvii–xviii, 42, 216, 217, 218, 219–21, 245, 246, 289, 291, 297
- DMZ meeting, xvii, 221, 290, 299
- Hanoi meeting, xvii, 220–21
- “love letters,” xviii
- Singapore summit, xvii, 219–21, 246
Trump, Donald, and NATO, xviii–xix, 4, 11, 188, 226–29, 245–46, 300
- Brussels July 2018 summit, 228–29, 245
- defense spending, 11, 225–26, 226n, 245
- disdain and interest in withdrawal, 10, 50, 67, 147, 228, 248, 253–54, 291, 301
Trump, Donald, and Obama, 41–42, 288–89
- “birther” conspiracy, 17, 19
- presidential transition meeting, 41–42
Trump, Donald, and Putin, xviii–xix, 67, 69–70, 207, 227–30, 291, 300
- G20 meeting, 233
- Helsinki summit, 229–31, 237–38, 246, 290, 297
- White House invitation, 231
Trump, Donald, and Saudi Arabia, xix, 10, 165, 167–81, 192, 205, 208–9, 242, 282
- Khashoggi’s murder, 165, 203–4, 205–8
- MBS, xix, 167–68, 172, 282, 291
- Qatar blockade, 178–81
- state visit, 172–73, 175–77, 207
Trump, Donald, and Syria, 205, 241–42, 280, 289–90
- Kellogg on bombing of Assad, 82–83
- orders strikes, 113–16
- presidential transition and, 121–22
- sharing of intelligence with Russia, 138–39
- U.S. withdrawal of troops, 24–251, 254–55, 259, 260
Trump, Donald, presidential transition of, 45–67
- cabinet picks, 48–67
- chaos of, 59–61
- Christie and, 45–47
- Russian interference in election of 2016 and, 63–67
- secretary of defense, 49–51
- secretary of state, 56–59
Trump, Donald, Jr., 107
Trump, Eric, 314–15
Trump, Fred, 107
Trump, Ivanka, 90, 154, 192, 194, 281
Trump, Mary Anne MacLeod, 107
Trump Bedminster Golf Club, 50, 157, 267
Trump border wall, 56, 251, 271–72, 274
Trump rallies, xx, 96, 165, 220
Tsai Ing-wen, 73
Tubaigy, Salah Mohammed, 201–2
Tumulty, Karen, 238
Turkey, 121, 201, 204, 248–50
coup attempt of 2016, 41
Syria and, 248–49, 254–55
Tyson, Mike, 277

Ukraine

Manafort and, 39
Russia annexation, 228, 231, 309
Trump phone call and impeachment, 309–10

U

Understanding Terror Networks (Sageman), 35
“underwear bomb,” 75
United Arab Emirates (UAE), 76, 81, 170–72, 178, 179, 204, 291
United Kingdom. See Britain
United Nations, 151, 184, 190
- General Assembly (UNGA), 39–40
- North Korea and, 215–16, 220–21
- Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 195–96
- Security Council, 115, 216, 221
Unrestricted Warfare (Qiao and Wang), 5
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 190
USA Today, 142
“usufruct,” 306
Uzbekistan, 106

Vatican, 6, 14

V

VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices), 118
Venezuela, 33, 106, 281
Vickers, Michael, 30
Vietnam War, 37, 79, 261
- McMaster’s Dereliction of Duty on, 79, 86–87, 88, 132, 308
- Paris Peace Accords, 261
Vision 2030, 173–74
Vitézi Rend, 35
Votel, Joseph, 116–17, 118, 120, 186, 248–50

Waddell, Ricky, 151, 158

W

Wahhabi Islam, 173–75
Walker, Scott, 46
Wallace, Chris, 176, 239, 272
Wall Street Journal, 21, 72, 141, 218, 266, 315
Walmart shooting, 269, 275
War and the Art of Governance (Schadlow), 90
War Powers Act of 1973, 279
Washington, George, 287
Washington Examiner, 191, 273
Washington Post, 24, 31, 201, 261, 307, 315
- McRaven’s open letter to Trump, 238–39
weapons of mass destruction (WMD), 63–64, 219. See also chemical weapons; nuclear weapons
Webb, Jamie, 225
Weekly Standard, 62
Weeks, Timothy, 161n
Welch, Edgar, 34
WhatsApp, 195
WikiLeaks, 63, 65, 66
“winning without fighting” strategy, 294–95
Wolff, Terry, 119–20
Wollman Ice Rink (Central Park), 142
Woodward, Bob, 307
World War I, 4, 112, 156, 274
World War II, 4, 7, 9, 11, 35, 53, 54, 62, 291
“Wuhan virus,” xxi

Xi Jinping, 55, 113, 114

Yakla raid, 76–78

Y

Yale Law School, 190
Yang Jiechi, 73
Yates, Sally, 100
Yazidis, 116–17, 123
Yemen (Yemeni Civil War), xix, 37, 75–78, 169, 280, 289
- Houthi rebels in, xix, 183–84, 282
- Saudi Arabia and, xix, 169, 183–84, 208–9
- travel ban and, 97, 103, 106
- Yakla raid, 76–78

Zakaria, Fareed, 115

Z

Zarif, Mohammad, 282–83
Zazi, Najibullah, 273
Zelensky, Volodymyr, 309–10