Source Notes

The information in this book comes primarily from deep background interviews conducted by the authors with firsthand participants and witnesses, or from contemporaneous notes and documents. Additional and supplemental source notes follow.

PROLOGUE

  1. The scenes of a screaming: Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick, June 17, 1987, Warner Bros.
  2. The Chinese were investing: See “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic Of China,” Office of the Secretary of Defense Annual Report to Congress, 2020.
  3. military parade in Tiananmen Square: Helen Regan and James Griffiths, “No Force Can Stop China’s Progress, says Xi in National Day Speech,” CNN, October 1, 2019.
  4. latest “game changing” weapon: Tetsuro Kosaka, “China Unveils ICBM Capable of Reaching U.S. With 10 Warheads,” Nikkei Asia, October 2, 2019; Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, “Hypersonic Missiles: A New Arms Race,” The Diplomat, June 25, 2021.
  5. sending military planes daily: Steven Lee Myers, “China Sends Warning to Taiwan and U.S. With Big Show of Air Power,” The New York Times, September 18, 2020; Yimou Lee, David Lague and Ben Blanchard, “China Launches ‘Gray-Zone’ Warfare to Subdue Taiwan,” Reuters, December 10, 2020.
  6. resolutely smash: Yew lun tian, “Attack on Taiwan and Option to Stop Independence, Top China General Says,” Reuters, May 28, 2020.
  7. In the South China Sea: “China’s Military Aggression in the Indo-Pacific Region,” U.S. Department of State, 2017-2021, State.gov.
  8. ABLE ARCHER: See Ben Macintyre, The Spy and The Traitor (New York: Broadway Books, 2018), pp.178–182.
  9. later the CIA director: Ibid, p.182.
  10. “Reichstag moment”: Jeffrey Herf, “Emergency Powers Helped Hitler’s Rise. Germany Has Avoided Them Ever Since,” The Washington Post, February 19, 2019.
  11. but I’m going to say that I asked you: Letter from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Democrat Colleagues, “Dear Colleague on Events of the Past Week,” January 8, 2021, speaker.gov.
  12. had been saying for years: See William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina, The Button (Texas: BenBella, 2020).
  13. In an article published: William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina, “Trump Still Has His Finger on the Nuclear Button. This Must Change,” Politico, January 8, 2021.
  14. Two weeks after: Bernard Gwertzman, “Pentagon Kept Tight Rein in Last Days of Nixon Rule,” The New York Times, August 25, 1974.
  15. Nixon had grown increasingly irrational: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, The Final Days (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1976).
  16. Suddenly, about: Video: Manu Raju, CNN Breaking News, 12:03 p.m., January 8, 2021.

CHAPTER ONE

  1. Speaking before four American flags: “Trump Condemns Hatred ‘On Many Sides’ in Charlottesville White Nationalist Protest,” CBS News, August 12, 2017.
  2. look and manner of a neighborhood priest: Annie Karni, “In Biden White House, the Celebrity Staff Is a Thing of the Past,” The New York Times, May 18, 2021.
  3. His mother was a local union organizer: Scott MacKay, “Commentary: From South Providence to the Biden Campaign, Meet Mike Donilon,” Rhode Island Public Radio, October 12, 2020.
  4. Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old: Harmeet Kaur and Hollie Silverman, “Charlottesville Police to Remove Same Version of Car That Killed Heather Heyer from Its Fleet,” CNN, December 13, 2019.
  5. Biden issued a tweet: @JoeBiden, “There is only one side. #charlottesville,” 6:18 p.m., August 12, 2017, Twitter.com.
  6. Trump would not let go: “President Trump News Conference,” C-SPAN, August 15, 2017.
  7. “big fucking deal”: “Remarks by Vice President Biden at Health Care Bill Signing Ceremony at the White House,” C-SPAN, March 23, 2010.
  8. Within two weeks: Joe Biden, “We Are Living Through a Battle for the Soul of This Nation,” The Atlantic, August 27, 2017.

CHAPTER TWO

  1. Ryan publicly said he was “sickened”: David A. Fahrenthold, “Trump Recorded Having Extremely Lewd Conversation About Women in 2005,” The Washington Post, October 8, 2016.
  2. Ryan liked to call himself a “policy guy”: Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Bidding Congress Farewell, Paul Ryan Laments Nation’s ‘Broken’ Politics,” The New York Times, December 19, 2018.
  3. The memo: The reference material was obtained by the authors.
  4. Ryan tested out his research: “Paul Ryan at Trump Tower.” Remarks to reporters available at C-SPAN.org. Posted on December 9, 2016.
  5. Ryan got word that Trump was ready: Damian Paletta and Todd C. Frankel, “Trump Says No Plan to Pull Out of NAFTA ‘At This Time,’ ” The Washington Post, April 27, 2017.
  6. Ryan began to dictate: Austin Wright, “Ryan, House and Senate GOP Outraged by Trump News Conference,” Politico, August 15, 2017.
  7. On March 21, 2018: Mike DeBonis and Erica Werner, “Congressional Negotiators Reach Deal on $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill Ahead of Friday Government Shutdown Deadline,” The Washington Post, March 21, 2018.
  8. On Fox News that morning: Video: “Pete Hegseth: This Is a Swamp Budget,” Fox News, March 23, 2018, foxnews.com.
  9. Trump tweeted: @realDonaldTrump, “I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill… and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded,” March 23, 2018, Twitter.com.
  10. Growing up, his dad had died when he was a teenager: Robert Costa, “My Brother, Paul Ryan,” National Review, August 20, 2012.
  11. On April 11, 2018: Paul Kane, John Wagner, and Mike DeBonis, “Speaker Ryan Will Not Seek Reelection, Further Complicating GOP House Prospects,” The Washington Post, April 11, 2018.

CHAPTER THREE

  1. plagued by plagiarism charges: Neena Satija, “Echoes of Biden’s 1987 Plagiarism Scandal Continue to Reverberate,” The Washington Post, June 5, 2019.
  2. his 365-page campaign autobiography: Joe Biden, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (New York: Random House, 2007).
  3. “Get up!”: Ibid., pp. ii–iii.
  4. He gave Biden important roles: See Bob Woodward, The Price of Politics (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013).
  5. President Obama was hinting strongly: Peter Baker, “Biden and Obama’s ‘Odd Couple’ Relationship Aged into Family Ties,” The New York Times, April 28, 2019.
  6. a brief October 2014 story: Luis Martinez and Arlette Saenz, “Joe Biden’s Son Hunter Biden Discharged from Navy After Positive Cocaine Test,” ABC News, October 16, 2014.
  7. In his 2021 memoir: Hunter Biden, Beautiful Things (New York: Gallery Books, 2021), pp. 215–17.
  8. A few months later: Michael D. Shear, “Beau Biden, Vice President Joe Biden’s Son, Dies at 46,” The New York Times, May 30, 2015.
  9. a life that included: Steve Holland, “Standing Among U.S. Graves, Biden Explains Afghanistan Decision in Personal Terms,” Reuters, April 14, 2021.
  10. The following day: “Full text: Biden’s Announcement That He Won’t Run for President,” The Washington Post, October 21, 2014.

CHAPTER FOUR

  1. Jill and Joe Biden: Jill Biden, Where the Light Enters (New York: Flatiron Books, 2019).
  2. As the evening wore on: Lauren Easton, “Calling the Presidential Race State by State,” Associated Press, November 9, 2020.
  3. “You didn’t hear”: Video: “Conversation with President Amy Gutmann & The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,” Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania, March 30, 2017, president.upenn.edu/bidenevent-3-30-17.
  4. Biden stopped through: “Donald Trump Inauguration Speech Transcript,” Politico, January 20, 2017; Joe Biden, Promise Me, Dad (New York: Flatiron Books, 2017).
  5. On March 1, the New York Post: Emily Smith, “Beau Biden’s Widow Having Affair with His Married Brother,” New York Post, March 1, 2017.
  6. “Worse yet, I started backsliding” into drugs: Hunter Biden, Beautiful Things (New York: Gallery Books, 2021), p. 183.
  7. Richmond was a rising star: Bryn Stole, “As Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Cedric Richmond Steps Forward to Cut a National Figure,” The Advocate, August 10, 2018.
  8. a center fielder and pitcher: Ben Terris and National Journal, “The Fiercest Battle in D.C. Is on the Baseball Diamond,” The Atlantic, June 11, 2013.
  9. bestseller list for one week: “Hardcover Nonfiction,” The New York Times, December 3, 2017.
  10. the Black architect: Roy S. Johnson, “Overlooked No More: Joseph Bartholomew, Golf Course Architect,” The New York Times, February 5, 2020.

CHAPTER FIVE

  1. Don McGahn, who worked closely: Robert Costa, “McGahn’s Last Stand,” The Washington Post, October 4, 2018.
  2. She accused Kavanaugh: Emma Brown, “California Professor, Writer of Confidential Brett Kavanaugh Letter, Speaks Out About Her Allegation of Sexual Assault,” The Washington Post, September 16, 2018.
  3. November 6 brought blue gains: Jane C. Timm, “Democrats Gain 40 House Seats, as NBC Projects TJ Cox Wins California’s 21st District,” NBC News, December 6, 2018; Harry Enten, “Latest House Results Confirm 2018 Wasn’t a Blue Wave. It Was a Blue Tsunami,” CNN, December 6, 2018.
  4. a detailed 11-page memo: This Biden political memo was obtained by the authors.
  5. A mammoth beast: Annie Karni, “A Peek Inside Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn HQ,” Politico, July 16, 2015.

CHAPTER SIX

  1. President Trump appointed: Shannon Van Sant, “Trump Appoints Gen. Mark Milley Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” NPR, December 8, 2018.
  2. Trump made it clear: David Brown, Daniel Lippman, and Wesley Morgan, “Trump’s Newest ‘Central Casting’ General,” Politico, July 10, 2021.
  3. a West Point graduate and lobbyist: Kenneth P. Vogel, Michael LaForgia, and Hailey Fuchs, “Trump Vowed to ‘Drain the Swamp,’ but Lobbyists Are Helping Run His Campaign,” The New York Times, July 6, 2020.
  4. During Milley’s confirmation: “Hearing to Consider the Nomination of General Mark A. Milley, for Reappointment to the Grade of General and to Be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, July 11, 2019, armed-services.senate.gov.
  5. Mattis once called: See Bob Woodward, Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. 136.
  6. served as general counsel: Michael Kranish and Hamza Shaban, “In Corporate Role, William P. Barr Clashed with Justice Department That He Now Seeks to Lead,” The Washington Post, December 8, 2018.
  7. he had publicly criticized: Andrew Prokop, “Trump’s Attorney General Nominee Wrote a Memo Expressing Deep Suspicion of the Mueller Probe,” Vox, December 20, 2018.
  8. “Under the regulations”: U.S. Government Publishing Office, “Confirmation Hearing on the Nomination of Hon. William Pelham Barr to Be Attorney General of the United States,” Senate Hearing 116-65, January 15 and 16, 2019, Congress.gov.
  9. Mueller finally finished his report: Robert S. Mueller, “Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election,” United States Department of Justice, March 2019.
  10. Mueller wrote one of the most convoluted lines: Ibid., p. 2.
  11. Barr released a letter: “Read Attorney General William Barr’s Summary of the Mueller Report,” The New York Times, March 24, 2019.
  12. “It was a complete and total exoneration”: President Trump, C-SPAN, March 24, 2019.
  13. Mueller himself complained: Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky, “Mueller Complained That Barr’s Letter Did Not Capture ‘Context’ of Trump Probe,” The Washington Post, April 30, 2019
  14. 700 former federal prosecutors: Dartunorro Clark, “Hundreds of Former Prosecutors Say Trump Would Have Been Indicted if He Were Not President,” NBC News, May 6, 2019.
  15. In a Freedom: Aaron Blake, “A GOP-Appointed Judge’s Scathing Review of William Barr’s ‘Candor’ and ‘Credibility,’ Annotated,” The Washington Post, March 5, 2020.
  16. “It ended in dust”: Bob Woodward interview with President Donald J. Trump, December 20, 2019, in Rage (New York, Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. 164.

CHAPTER SEVEN

  1. a veteran of the Obama White House: Jordan Fabian, “Biden Hires Former Obama Official Anita Dunn as Senior Adviser,” Bloomberg News, January 15, 2021.
  2. estate he rented: Kristen Schott, “See the NoVA Home Where the Bidens Used to Reside,” Northern Virginia magazine, January 8, 2021
  3. she was not in lockstep: Ryan Lizza, “Why Biden’s Retro Inner Circle Is Succeeding So Far,” Politico, December 19, 2019.
  4. Pay attention to Biden-type Democrats: Nate Cohn, “Moderate Democrats Fared Best in 2018,” The New York Times, September 10, 2019.
  5. Klain had backed: Alex Thompson and Theodoric Meyer, “Ron Klain’s Possible Resurrection,” Politico: West Wing Playbook, November 11, 2020.
  6. The email was part of a trove: Ibid.
  7. Kathleen, had accused him of squandering: Margie Fishman, “Divorce Filing Details Split of Kathleen, Hunter Biden,” The News Journal, March 2, 2017.
  8. whose progressive credentials made her a force: Gabriel Debenedetti, “Rising Stars Collide in Shadow 2020 Primary,” Politico, January 29, 2018.
  9. was drawing rave reviews: Eric Bradner, “Pete Buttigieg Makes Star Turn in Town Hall Spotlight,” CNN, March 11, 2019.

CHAPTER EIGHT

  1. “What do you think?”: Jill Biden, CBS This Morning, May 7, 2019.
  2. We understand, Pop: Naomi Lim, “ ‘Pop, you Got to Run,’ ” Washington Examiner, September 26, 2019.
  3. Corners of the right wing online: Samantha Putterman, “Fact-checking the Pedophilia Attacks Against Joe Biden,” PolitiFact, August 12, 2020.
  4. “We do everything by family meetings”: “Biden School Celebration: Conversation with Joe Biden and Presidential Historian Jon Meacham,” University of Delaware, February 26, 2019.
  5. What Biden did not disclose: Hunter Biden, Beautiful Things (New York: Gallery Books, 2021), pp. 204–17.
  6. “One day, out of the blue”: Ibid., p. 215.
  7. “ran and ran and ran”: Ibid., p. 217.

CHAPTER NINE

  1. as an idea with a bestselling following: Jon Meacham, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (New York: Random House, 2018).
  2. Meacham told him: Video: “Biden School Celebration: Conversation with Joe Biden and Presidential Historian Jon Meacham,” University of Delaware, February 26, 2019.
  3. the informal Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.: Annie Karni and John Koblin, “Helping to Shape the Words of the President-Elect: A Presidential Historian,” The New York Times, November 9, 2020.
  4. Blunt Rochester was the first woman: Christina Jedra and Xerxes Wilson, “Lisa Blunt Rochester Wins Second Term in Congress,” The News Journal, November 6, 2018.
  5. His penchant for hugging: Natasha Korecki, Marc Caputo, and Alex Thompson, “ ‘Friendly Grandpa’ or Creepy Uncle? Generations Split over Biden Behavior,” Politico, April 1, 2019.
  6. as the Me Too movement: Hailey Fuchs, “Me Too Is Still a Movement,” The Washington Post, August 11, 2019.
  7. “An Awkward Kiss Changed How I Saw Joe Biden”: Lucy Flores, New York magazine, March 29, 2019.
  8. Then, in a speech: Lisa Lerer, “Joe Biden Jokes About Hugging in a Speech, Then Offers a Mixed Apology,” The New York Times, April 5, 2019.
  9. In her book: Jill Biden, Where the Light Enters (New York: Flatiron Books, 2019), p. 53.
  10. “He needs to give people their space”: Jill Biden, CBS This Morning, May 7, 2019.

CHAPTER TEN

  1. the largest field in decades: Matthew Yglesias, “The Comically Large 2020 Democratic Field, Explained,” Vox, December 17, 2018.
  2. In a suit jacket and open-collared shirt: @JoeBiden, “The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy… everything that has made America—America—is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020,” 6:00 a.m., April 25, 2019, Twitter.com.
  3. Progressives outwardly detested him: Elana Schor, “Joe Biden Faces a Challenge Winning Over Progressives,” Associated Press, March 22, 2019.
  4. Biden jumped on the Amtrak: Michael Scherer and John Wagner, “Former Vice President Joe Biden Jumps into White House Race,” The Washington Post, April 25, 2019.
  5. Biden then headed: Michelle Ye Hee Lee, “Joe Biden Campaign Reports Raising $6.3 Million in 24 Hours,” The Washington Post, April 26, 2019.
  6. Trump’s margin of victory: Tim Meko, Denise Lu, and Lazaro Gamio, “How Trump Won the Presidency with Razor-Thin Margins in Swing States,” The Washington Post, November 11, 2016.
  7. “Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe”: @realDonaldTrump, April 25, 2020, Twitter.com.
  8. “I just feel like a young man”: Video: @thehill, President Trump: “I just feel like a young man. I’m so young. I can’t believe it. I’m the youngest person—I am a young, vibrant man. I look at Joe—I don’t know about him,” 12:37 p.m., April 26, 2019, Twitter.com.
  9. When Biden, appearing: Video: “Joe Biden on Why He’s Running for President,” The View, ABC News, April 26, 2019.
  10. “I am a union man”: “Joe Biden Campaign Rally in Pittsburgh,” C-SPAN, April 29, 2019.
  11. Anzalone came back with poll results: Campaign polling documents obtained by the authors.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  1. his days as a public school teacher: Gillian Brockell, “A Civil Rights Love Story,” The Washington Post, January 10, 2020.
  2. eating fried whiting filets: Jonathan Martin, “Hoping to Woo Black Voters, Democratic Candidates Gather at James Clyburn’s Fish Fry,” The New York Times, June 21, 2019.
  3. Biden had said there was “some civility”: Isaac Stanley-Becker, “ ‘We Got Things Done’: Biden Recalls ‘Civility’ with Segregationist Senators,” The Washington Post, June 19, 2019.
  4. “I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland”: Ibid.
  5. When later pressed: Justin Wise, “Biden Defends Remarks About Segregationist Senators: ‘Apologize for What?,’ ” The Hill, June 19, 2019.
  6. Clyburn made sure to defend: Emma Dumain, “Biden Said He Found Common Ground with Segregationists,” McClatchy, June 19, 2019.
  7. Emily, a librarian: Emma Dumain, “Emily Clyburn—Librarian, Activist, Wife of SC Congressman Jim Clyburn—Dies at 80,” The State, September 19, 2019.
  8. “So on the issue of race”: “Transcript: Night 2 of the First Democratic Debate,” The Washington Post, January 28, 2019.
  9. By the next week: “Harris Gets Big Debate Bounce While Biden Sinks Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds,” Quinnipiac University Poll, July 2, 2019, poll.qu.edu.

CHAPTER TWELVE

  1. Senator Harris’s bump to the top tier did not last: Astead W. Herndon, Shane Goldmacher, and Jonathan Martin, “Kamala Harris Says She’s Still ‘In This Fight,’ but out of the 2020 Race,” The New York Times, December 3, 2019.
  2. the two leading lights: Jonathan Martin, “Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders Have a Problem: Each Other,” The New York Times, December 16, 2019.
  3. His October 1 heart attack: Sean Sullivan and Amy Gardner, “Sanders’s Heart Attack Raises Questions About His Age, Potential Damage to Campaign,” The Washington Post, October 5, 2019.
  4. and concentrated on Biden: Robert Costa, “Ascendant Bernie Sanders Turns His Focus to Joe Biden as Iowa Nears,” The Washington Post, January 2, 2020.
  5. out-of-nowhere victory: April McCullum, “As Mayor, Bernie Sanders Had to Wait for a Revolution,” Burlington Free Press, February 27, 2016.
  6. was sinking millions of dollars: Asma Khalid, “In a Month, Michael Bloomberg Has Spent More than $100 Million on Campaign Ads,” NPR, December 27, 2019.
  7. During a December 5, 2019, Oval Office interview: Bob Woodward interview with President Donald J. Trump, December 5, 2019, in Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. 189.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  1. Blinken had served as No. 2: Graeme Wood, “Biden’s Sleepily Reassuring Appointments,” The Atlantic, November 23, 2020.
  2. played in a dad-rock band: Claire Shaffer, “Yes, Biden’s Secretary of State Hopeful Antony Blinken Has a Band,” Rolling Stone, November 23, 2020.
  3. That January, news: See Bob Woodward, Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), pp. xiii–xv.
  4. Klain had led efforts: Juliet Eilperin and Lena H. Sun, “Ebola Czar Ron Klain to Leave Feb. 15 After Leading U.S. Response to Outbreak,” The Washington Post, January 29, 2015.
  5. Biden and his team drafted an op-ed: Joe Biden, “Trump Is Worst Possible Leader to Deal with Coronavirus Outbreak,” USA Today, January 27, 2021.
  6. “This will be the biggest national security threat”: Woodward, Rage, p. xiii.
  7. Trump’s angst about Biden: Natasha Korecki, “How Trump’s Biden Mania Led Him to the Brink of Impeachment,” Politico, September 27, 2019.
  8. In the call, a transcript: “Telephone Conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine,” July 25, 2019, transcript, declassified September 24, 2019, WhiteHouse.gov.
  9. Trump was acquitted: Seung Min Kim, “In Historic Vote, Trump Acquitted of Impeachment Charges,” The Washington Post, February 5, 2020.
  10. Greg Schultz was under mounting pressure: Alexander Burns, Jonathan Martin, and Katie Glueck, “How Joe Biden Won the Presidency,” The New York Times, November 7, 2020.
  11. The Iowa caucuses on February 3 were a drubbing: Nathan Robinson, “Joe Biden Flopped in Iowa,” The Guardian, February 4, 2020.
  12. Buttigieg, surging in the polls: Chris Sikich, “Pete Buttigieg Surges in New Hampshire After Seizing Iowa Narrative with Claim of Victory,” Indianapolis Star, February 7, 2020.
  13. “Pete’s Record”: Adam Shaw, “Brutal Biden Campaign Ad Mocks Buttigieg’s Experience as South Bend Mayor,” Fox News, February 8, 2020.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  1. the Congressional Black Caucus had a gathering: Matt Viser and Cleve R. Wootson Jr., “Eighteen Days That Resuscitated Joe Biden’s Nearly Five-Decade Career,” The Washington Post, February 29, 2020.
  2. “My second point is about 10-20-30”: Tracy Jan, “Reparations, Rebranded,” The Washington Post, February 24, 2020.
  3. a Sanders nomination: Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, “Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada Caucuses, Strengthening His Primary Lead,” The New York Times, February 22, 2020.
  4. “Everyone should be represented”: “Read the Full Transcript of the South Carolina Democratic Debate,” CBS News, February 25, 2020.
  5. Clyburn spoke in North Charleston: “Representative Jim Clyburn Endorses Joe Biden Ahead of South Carolina Primary,” C-SPAN, February 26, 2020.
  6. For months, there were constant complaints: Jeff Zeleny and Arlette Saenz, “Joe Biden Grapples with Attacks from Trump and the Rising Warren Threat,” CNN, October 7, 2019.
  7. During an interview: Transcript, “Clyburn on Biden Endorsement,” CNN, February 28, 2020.
  8. Biden was moved: “ ‘He Reminds Me of My Son Beau,’ ” CNN, March 2, 2020.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  1. Super Tuesday: “Live Results: Super Tuesday 2020,” The Washington Post, washingtonpost.com/elections.
  2. warred with Clinton’s campaign: Alex Seitz-Wald, “How Sanders Delegates Organized a Walkout Under Everyone’s Nose,” NBC News, July 26, 2016.
  3. Biden suspended in-person campaigning: Sydney Ember, Annie Karni, and Maggie Haberman, “Sanders and Biden Cancel Events as Coronavirus Fears Upend Primary,” The New York Times, March 10, 2020.
  4. The shift was strange: Matt Viser and Annie Linskey, “Live from His Basement, Joe Biden Pushes for Visibility as Democrats Worry,” The Washington Post, March 25, 2020.
  5. Trump made fun of Biden: Aaron Sharockman, “Biden Isn’t in the Basement, but the Trump Campaign Keeps Saying So,” PolitiFact, October 4, 2020.
  6. Warren’s older brother: Jess Bidgood, “Elizabeth Warren’s Oldest Brother Dies of Coronavirus in Oklahoma,” The Boston Globe, April 23, 2020.
  7. an unvarnished and pointed three-page memo: Campaign memo obtained by the authors.
  8. the rumor that Democrats would replace Biden: Douglas MacKinnon, “Bye Bye Biden? Democrats Could Replace Joe Biden with John Kerry as Presidential Candidate,” The Sun, July 31, 2020.
  9. Parscale was close to Trump’s son-in-law: Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey, “Adviser, Son-in-Law and Hidden Campaign Hand,” The Washington Post, July 26, 2019.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  1. close friends with Robert Mueller’s wife: Dareh Gregorian, “Who Is Attorney General William Barr?,” NBC News, April 18, 2019.
  2. Barr had gone to see Bush: “William P. Barr Oral History,” Miller Center, University of Virginia, April 5, 2001.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  1. Trump convened a meeting: Kaitlan Collins, Joan Biskupic, Evan Perez, and Tami Luhby, “Barr Urges Trump Administration to Back Off Call to Fully Strike Down Obamacare,” CNN, May 5, 2020.
  2. Other Republicans also shook their heads: Jessie Hellmann, “GOP Senator: DOJ’s Obamacare Argument ‘as Far-fetched as Any I’ve Ever Heard,’ ” The Hill, June 12, 2018.
  3. Groundhog Day: Harold Ramis, Groundhog Day, Columbia Pictures, 1993.
  4. On the morning of May 14, Trump told: Donald J. Trump interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, May 14, 2020.
  5. Durham, who was probing: Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker, “Barr Appoints Special Counsel in Russia Probe Investigation,” Associated Press, December 1, 2020.
  6. Barr prepared a little speech: Matt Zapotosky, “Barr Says He Does Not Expect Obama or Biden Will Be Investigated by Prosecutor Reviewing 2016 Russia Probe,” May 18, 2020.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  1. “Deep in the heart of Delaware”: Marc Caputo and Christopher Cadelago, “Dems Warm to Biden’s Bunker Strategy,” Politico, June 24, 2021.
  2. “Punxsutawney Joe”: Ibid.
  3. Biden’s lead widened: Justin Wise, “Poll: Biden Widens Lead over Trump to 10 points,” The Hill, May 31, 2020.
  4. Trump mused about injecting: Allyson Chiu, Katie Shepherd, Brittany Shammas, and Colby Itkowitz, “Trump Claims Controversial Comment About Injecting Disinfectants Was ‘Sarcastic,’ ” The Washington Post, April 24, 2020.
  5. “I wanted to always play it down”: Bob Woodward interview with President Donald J. Trump, March 19, 2020 in Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. xviii.
  6. Trump had tweeted earlier: @realDonaldTrump, 2:47 p.m., March 9, 2020, Twitter.com.
  7. “Our country wasn’t built to be shut down”: “President Trump with Coronavirus Task Force Briefing,” C-SPAN, March 23, 2020.
  8. cell-surface receptors called ACE2: Kate Sheridan, “The Coronavirus Sneaks into Cells Through a Key Receptor,” STAT News, April 10, 2010; Krishna Sriram, Paul Insel, and Rohit Loomba, “What Is the ACE2 receptor,” The Conversation, May 14, 2020.
  9. During an interview with Trump: Bob Woodward interview with President Donald J. Trump, March 19, 2020, in Rage, pp. 287–88.
  10. He would write a book: Dr. Vivek Murthy, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World (New York: HarperCollins, 2020).

CHAPTER NINETEEN

  1. in more than 140 cities: Derrick Bryson Taylor, “George Floyd Protests: A Timeline,” The New York Times, March 28, 2021.
  2. seven minutes and 46 seconds: Paul Walsh, “7 Minutes, 46 Seconds: Error in George Floyd Killing Timeline Won’t Affect Charges, County Says,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 18, 2020.
  3. Trump told Woodward, “These are arsonists”: Bob Woodward interview with President Donald J. Trump, June 3, 2020, in Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. 343.
  4. one of Trump’s most conservative senior advisers: Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey, “The Adviser Who Scripts Trump’s Immigration Policy,” The Washington Post, August 17, 2019.
  5. as the 1968 riots in Washington, D.C.: Denise Kersten Wills, “ ‘People Were Out of Control’: Remembering the 1968 Riots,” Washingtonian magazine, April 1, 2008.
  6. the 1993 FBI siege: Tara Isabella Burton, “The Waco Tragedy, Explained,” Vox, April 19, 2018.
  7. President Lyndon B. Johnson had deployed: Lauren Pearlman, “A President Deploying Troops at Home Subverts Local Control and Accountability,” The Washington Post, June 5, 2020.
  8. Trump to the underground bunker: Jonathan Lemire and Zeke Miller, “Trump Took Shelter in White House Bunker as Protests Raged,” Associated Press, May 31, 2020.
  9. he told the governors: Robert Costa, Seung Min Kim, and Josh Dawsey, “Trump Calls Governors ‘Weak,’ Urges Them to Use Force Against Unruly Protests,” The Washington Post, June 1, 2020.
  10. “You have to dominate”: “President Trump’s Call with US Governors over Protests,” CNN, June 1, 2020.

CHAPTER TWENTY

  1. Joe Lengyel, who was the chief: “Guard Chief Stresses Strategic Use of Force, Parity with Active Force,” Defense.gov, March 4, 2020.
  2. Around 6:30 p.m.: U.S. Government Publishing Office, “Oversight Hearing Before the Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, June 28–29, 2020.
  3. “Pepper balls”: Ibid.
  4. Trump spoke for seven minutes: Transcript of “President Trump’s Rose Garden Speech on Protests,” CNN, June 1, 2020.
  5. Dozens of National Guard troops: Phillip Kennicott, “The Dystopian Lincoln Memorial Photo Raises a Grim Question: Will They Protect Us, or Will They Shoot Us?,” The Washington Post, June 3, 2020.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  1. “We must be vigilant about the violence”: “Joe Biden’s Remarks on Civil Unrest and Nationwide Protests,” CNN, June 2, 2020.
  2. “I’ve always believed”: Matthew Impelli, “U.S. Secretary of Defense Breaks with Trump, Says He Doesn’t Support Invoking Insurrection Act,” Newsweek, June 3, 2020.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  1. Milley decided to apologize publicly: Transcript: “General Mark Milley’s Message to the National Defense University Class of 2020,” Joint Staff Public Affairs, June 11, 2020.
  2. like the Victrola Dog: Michael P. Farrell, “A Visual History of Albany’s Top Dog: Nipper Through the Years,” Albany Times Union, January 25, 2021.
  3. the issue of Confederate flags: Dan Lamothe and Josh Dawsey, “U.S. Military Faces a Reckoning on How to Handle Its Confederate Symbols Without Provoking Trump,” The Washington Post, June 12, 2020.
  4. Wag the Dog: Barry Levinson, United States: New Line Cinema, 1997.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  1. City health officials: Nicole Sganga, Musadiq Bidar, and Eleanor Watson, “Oklahoma Officials Worry About Trump’s Rally as Tulsa County COVID Infections Rise to Record Levels,” CBSNews.com, June 18, 2020.
  2. A day before, Trump told Woodward: See Bob Woodward, Rage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), p. 357.
  3. a sea of empty blue seats: Philip Rucker and Robert Costa, “Trump Rallies in Red-State America—and Faces a Sea of Empty Blue Seats,” The Washington Post, June 20, 2020.
  4. The pandemic “is disappearing,” he insisted: Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman, “Away from Gridlock in Washington, Trump Puts on a Show for His Club,” The New York Times, August 7, 2020.
  5. “The deep state”: @realDonaldTrump, August 22, 2020, 7:49 a.m., Twitter.com.
  6. He also was a regular donor: Sarah Karlin-Smith, “Trump to Pick Texas Cancer Doctor to Head FDA,” Politico, November 1, 2019.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  1. Biden had publicly pledged: Brian Schwartz, “Joe Biden Pledges to Pick a Woman to Be His Running Mate,” CNBC, March 15, 2020.
  2. And she was a member: Stephanie Saul, “Kamala Harris’s Secret Weapon: The Sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha,” The New York Times, July 1, 2019.
  3. the pair collaborated: Edward-Isaac Dovere, “The Battle That Changed Kamala Harris,” The Atlantic, August 19, 2020.
  4. “We had each other’s backs”: Kamala Harris, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (New York: Penguin, 2019).
  5. She posted a picture on Instagram: @kamalaharris, “Over the weekend, I attended the memorial service for my dear friend Beau Biden. It was a moving tribute to Beau, who cared so deeply for his family, the people of Delaware, and our country. I feel fortunate to have known Beau as a friend as to have had the opportunity to work closely with him as Attorneys General. My heart and prayers go out to his family, which he loved so passionately,” June 8, 2015, Instagram.com.
  6. “Beau always supported her”: Scott Bixby, “Kamala Harris Was in Biden Circle of Trust. Then Came Debate Night,” The Daily Beast, July 13, 2020.
  7. Harris was the daughter: Ellen Barry, “How Kamala Harris’s Immigrant Parents Found a Home, and Each Other, in a Black Study Group,” The New York Times, September 13, 2020.
  8. voting record was unabashedly liberal: David Lightman, “How Liberal Is She? Watchdog Groups Rate the Senate Record of Kamala Harris,” The Sacramento Bee, August 12, 2020.
  9. Biden’s note card was photographed: Colby Itkowitz, “Joe Biden’s Personal Notes on Kamala Harris: No Grudges,” The Washington Post, July 28, 2020.
  10. Even Harris’s rivals: Julie Pace, David Eggert, and Kathleen Ronayne, “How Biden Decided: Whitmer Pulled Back, Pushing Pick to Harris,” Associated Press, August 12, 2020.
  11. On August 11, Biden sat in front: Philip Elliott, “How Joe Biden’s Enduring Grief for His Son Helped Lead Him to Kamala Harris, Time, August 12, 2020.
  12. On his desk rested: Michel Martin, “Joe Biden Remembers His Son in His New Memoir,” NPR, November 8, 2017.
  13. There were about 10 million more women than men registered to vote: “Elections: Data and Analysis for Current and Past Races with Women Candidates, by Election Year,” Rutgers: Center for American Women and Politics, cawp.rutgers.edu; Ruth Igielnik, “Men and Women in the U.S. Continue to Differ in Voter Turnout Rate, Party Identification,” Pew Research Center, August 18, 2020.
  14. The campaign raised $48 million in the 48 hours: James Oliphant and Kanishka Singh, “Biden Campaign Raises $48 Million in 48 Hours After Naming Kamala Harris as VP Choice,” Reuters, August 13, 2020.
  15. On August 12: “Joe Biden Introduction of Senator Kamala Harris as Running Mate,” C-SPAN, August 12, 2020.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  1. A Secret Service agent interrupted: Clarence Williams, Anne Gearan, Carol D. Leonnig, and Martin Weil, “Secret Service Shoots Man Near the White House,” The Washington Post, August 10, 2020.
  2. Trump tweeted: @realDonaldTrump, 7:33 a.m., August 12, 2020, Twitter.com.
  3. The Trump campaign followed up with a video: Donald J. Trump for President, August 11, 2020, youtube.com.
  4. Bill Stepien after Brad Parscale was demoted: Andrew Restuccia and Rebecca Ballhaus, “Trump Replaces Campaign Manager,” The Wall Street Journal, July 15, 2020.
  5. In late September, the FDA submitted: Noah Weiland and Sharon LaFraniere, “F.D.A. to Release Stricter Guidelines for Emergency Vaccine Authorization,” The New York Times, September 22, 2020.
  6. Seven former FDA commissioners published: Robert Califf, Scott Gottlieb, Margaret Hamburg, Jane Henney, David Kessler, Mark Mclellan, and Andy von Eschenbach, “7 former FDA commissioners: The Trump Administration Is Undermining the Credibility of the FDA,” The Washington Post, September 29, 2020.
  7. Later that same evening: Transcript of Presidential Debate, The Commission on Presidential Debates, September 29, 2020, debates.org.
  8. Bourla joined the chorus: “Moving at the Speed of Science: An open letter from Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla to U.S. colleagues,” October 1, 2020, Pfizer.com.
  9. “Will you shut up, man?”: Vice President Joe Biden, Transcript of Presidential Debate, The Commission on Presidential Debates, September 29, 2020, debates.org.
  10. Trump had resisted going: Noah Weiland, Maggie Haberman, Mark Mazzetti, and Annie Karni, “Trump Was Sicker than Acknowledged with Covid-19,” The New York Times, February 11, 2021.
  11. “antibody cocktail”: Katie Thomas and Gina Kolata, “President Trump Received Experimental Antibody Treatment,” The New York Times, October 2, 2020.
  12. U.S. health officials went into a frenzy: Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History (New York: HarperCollins, 2021).
  13. The White House remained a hot zone: Josh Margolin and Lucien Bruggeman, “34 People Connected to White House, More Than Previously Known, Infected by Coronavirus: Internal FEMA Memo,” ABCNews.com, October 7, 2020.
  14. In 2017, the State Department had strongly denied: Meghan Keneally, “State Department Denies Tillerson called Trump a ‘Moron,’ ” Associated Press, October 4, 2017.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  1. In 1987, Admiral William J. Crowe: See Bob Woodward, The Commanders (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991), p. 40.
  2. “I beat this crazy, horrible China virus”: Donald J. Trump in an interview with Maria Bartiromo, Fox News, October 11, 2020.
  3. “We need you to join ARMY FOR TRUMP’s election security operation”: Team Trump, September 21, 2020, Facebook.com.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  1. like other Trump parties: Annika Merrilees, “President Donald Trump Once Again Serves Fast Food to College Athletes at White House Celebration,” ABCNews.com, March 4, 2019.
  2. On June 22, he had tweeted: @realDonaldTrump, 5:16 a.m., June 22, 2020, Twitter.com.
  3. In his own Republican National Convention speech: “Full Transcript: President Trump’s Republican National Convention Speech,” The New York Times, August 28, 2020.
  4. 19 minutes after midnight: Patrick Maks, “Calling the 2020 Presidential Race State by State,” Associated Press, November 8, 2020.
  5. Fox News’s decision desk called Arizona for Biden: Elahe Izadi, “Who Won Arizona? Why the Call Still Differs by Media Organization,” The Washington Post, November 5, 2020; David Bauder, “Two Fox News Political Executives Out After Arizona Call,” Associated Press, January 19, 2021.
  6. He predicted victory: Grace Segers, “Joe Biden Expresses Confidence in Election Night Speech: ‘We Feel Good About Where We Are,’ ” CBS News, 1:15 a.m. November 4, 2020.
  7. “This is a fraud”: Transcript of President Trump’s U.S. 2020 Election Night Speech, November 4, 2020.
  8. a switch of 44,000 votes: Benjamin Swasey and Connie Hanzhang Jin, “Narrow Wins in These Key States Powered Biden to the Presidency,” NPR, December 2, 2020.
  9. A Washington Post analysis noted: David Brady and Brett Parker, “This Is How Biden Eked Out His 2020 Victory,” The Washington Post, February 12, 2021.
  10. House Republicans had won a net of 10 seats: Nick Vlahos, “After Close Shave, Cheri Bustos Furious About Polling That Missed GOP Gains in House,” The Journal Star, November 6, 2020.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  1. On Saturday, November 7: Brian Slodysko, “Explaining Race Cals: How AP Called the Race for Biden,” Associated Press, November 7, 2020.
  2. “Joe Biden Is Elected the 46th President of the United States”: Katie Glueck, The New York Times, November 7, 2020.
  3. Biden said, smiling in a dark suit: Amber Phillips, “Joe Biden’s Victory Speech, Annotated,” The Washington Post, November 7, 2020.
  4. Adopting a theme: See, for example, “A Time to Heal: Gerald Ford’s America,” C-SPAN, January 31, 2010.
  5. the classic Jackie Wilson R&B song: “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” Columbia Studios, 1967.
  6. Biden’s Senate press secretary for 10 years: Margaret Aitken Interview with Jim Gilmore, Frontline, July 21, 2020.
  7. he wanted to recite: Seamus Heaney, “The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes” (New York: Noonday Press, 1991).
  8. Matt thought it had been an amazing call: Biden also sent a personal letter, which was provided to the authors:

    Joseph R. Biden

    November 9, 2020

    The Manlove Family,

    On behalf of the entire Biden family, I extend my deepest condolences to you on the sudden passing of your beloved Elaine and Wayne. Their loss leaves us heartbroken, as it does for so many people throughout Delaware.

    A loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend and public servant, Elaine’s legacy as Delaware’s elections commissioner is embodied in the very democracy she gave her life to making better, more inclusive and more equal. Whether as a voter or a candidate, I knew, and my vote knew that their most fundamental right to vote would be protected under her watchful eye and deep love of country.

    Appointed and beloved leaders of all political stripes, Elaine embraced our state’s unofficial creed that all politics is personal no matter how difficult the task. Her joy was infectious enough to bring people together, to strengthen our bonds as fellow Americans. And we just saw in the most recent historic election that more Delawareans vote than ever before. But we all know that the only bond deeper was her bond with her Wayne. A good, decent, honorable man.

    Matthew, Joe, Michael, we share unfortunate bonds of losing loved ones suddenly and far too soon. I know that there are no words that can ease the pain you are feeling, but I want you to know that one day the memories of your parents will bring a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye. It will take time, but I promise you that that day will come. And on this day and for the difficult days ahead, I hope you find solace in a hymn that has sustained our family and which I believe sustains our state and country.

    “And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand.”

    May the spirit of your dear parents be raised on eagle’s wings, shine like the sun and be held in the palm of God’s hand.

    With love and sympathy,

    Joe Biden

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  1. Biden, while vice president, had told President Obama: Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010), p. 62.
  2. For Biden, anything relating to family: “Senator Graham Speaks to Reporters” Calling for a Special Counsel to Investigate Hunter Biden, C-SPAN, December 16, 2020.
  3. Photographs of Giuliani and serious-looking: Katelyn Burns, “The Trump Legal Team’s Failed Four Seasons Press Conference, Explained,” Vox, November 8, 2020.
  4. Giuliani rambled at length: Video: “Four Seasons Total Landscaping Press Conference,” AP Archive, November 17, 2020.
  5. When a reporter told Giuliani: Ibid.
  6. Powell asserted: “Election Drama Unfolds as Counting Continues,” Sidney Powell on Lou Dobbs Tonight, Fox Business, November 6, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY

  1. About eight seconds later: @realDonaldTrump, “I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately.… Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service,” 12:54 p.m., November 9, 2020, Twitter.com.
  2. In anticipation of being fired: Meghann Myers, “Exclusive: Esper, on His Way Out, Says He Was No Yes Man,” Military Times, November 9, 2020.
  3. Kathrin Jansen: Katie Thomas, David Gelles and Carl Zimmer, “Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective,” The New York Times, November 9, 2020.
  4. But Trump refused to believe it: @realDonaldTrump, November 10, 2020, Twitter.com.
  5. “It ain’t over til it’s over”: @Mike_Pence, Told @VP Team Today, “it ain’t over til it’s over..and this AIN’T over! President @realDonaldTrump has never stopped fighting for us and we’re gonna Keep Fighting until every LEGAL vote is counted!,” 1:41 p.m., November 9, 2020, Twitter.com.
  6. Trump had made to Breitbart News: “Exclusive—President Donald Trump: Paul Ryan Blocked Subpoenas of Democrats,” Breitbart, March 13, 2019.
  7. at a public State Department session with reporters: Video: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, “ ‘There Will Be a Smooth Transition to a Second Trump Administration,’ ” The Washington Post, November 10, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  1. Milley arranged to speak: “Remarks by General Mark A. Milley at the Opening Ceremony for the National Museum of the United States Army,” Joint Staff Public Affairs, November 11, 2020.
  2. Hollyanne, Milley’s wife: Courtney Kube, “Gen. Milley’s Wife Saved Vet Who Collapsed at Veterans Day Ceremony in Arlington,” NBC News, November 13, 2020.
  3. “almost a ‘Zelig’ figure”: David Ignatius, “How Kash Patel Rose from Obscure Hill Staffer to Key Operative in Trump’s Battle with the Intelligence Community,” The Washington Post, April 16, 2021.
  4. Jonathan Swan and Zachary Basu: “Episode 9: Trump’s War with His Generals,” Axios, May 16, 2021.
  5. The next day, Thursday: “Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & The Elections Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees,” November 12, 2020, cisa.gov.
  6. Trump soon fired: @realDonaldTrump, “The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate… Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,” 7:07 p.m. November 17, 2020, Twitter.com.
  7. The International Atomic Energy Agency had just reported: “UN Agency: Iran Uranium Stockpile Still Violates Atomic Deal,” Associated Press, November 11, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  1. In a letter: The authors obtained a copy of the Giuliani team’s letter to the Trump campaign.
  2. The next day, November 19: “Trump Campaign News Conference on Legal Challenges,” C-SPAN, November 19, 2020.
  3. The headline: Bess Levin, “Rudy Giuliani’s Hair Dye Melting Off His Face Was the Least Crazy Part of His Batshit-Crazy Press Conference,” Vanity Fair, November 19, 2020.
  4. “When we kept pressing”: Tucker Carlson, “Time for Sidney Powell to Show Us Her Evidence,” Fox News, November 19, 2020.
  5. Abrams: David Marchese, “Why Stacey Abrams Is Still Saying She Won,” New York magazine, April 28, 2019.
  6. He had lost his White House job in 2018: Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey, “Trump’s Personal Aide Apparently Lost White House Position over Gambling Habit,” The Washington Post, March 15, 2018.
  7. “So far, it’s not good”: Mike Lillis, “Clyburn: Biden Falling Short on Naming Black Figures to Top Posts,” The Hill, November 25, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  1. Balsamo filed the story: Michael Balsamo, “Disputing Trump, Barr Says No Widespread Election Fraud,” Associated Press, December 1, 2020.
  2. Comey giving two memos: Zachary Cohen, “The Tweet That Got James Comey to Go to the Press,” CNN.com, June 8, 2017.
  3. “Amazing time”: @Donald Trump Junior, December 8, 2020, Instagram.com.
  4. Cortes’s Twitter profile: @CortesSteve, Twitter profile as at July 7, 2021, Twitter.com.
  5. The “deplorables”: Hillary Clinton in a speech to journalists at a New York fundraiser, September 9, 2020; Katie Reilly, “Read Hillary Clinton’s ‘Basket of Deplorables’ Remarks About Donald Trump Supporters,” Time, September 10, 2016.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  1. Rove was also publicly dismissive: Karl Rove, “This Election Result Won’t Be Overturned,” The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2020.
  2. “They have not earned your vote”: Joey Garrison, “ ‘They Have Not Earned Your Vote’: Trump Allies Urge Georgia Republicans to Sit Out Senate Runoffs,” USA Today, December 3, 2020.
  3. Trump was losing: Alison Durkee, “Trump and the GOP Have Now Lost More than 50 Post-Election Lawsuits,” Forbes, December 8, 2020.
  4. The high court’s rejection: Justice Samuel Alito order in Mike Kelly, United States Congressman, et al., Applicants et al. v. Pennsylvania, et al., delivered December 8, 2020.
  5. “A picture is worth a thousand words”: @realDonaldTrump, 8.55 p.m., March 23, 2016, Twitter.com.
  6. Trump later told New York Times columnist: Maureen Dowd, “Trump Does It His Way,” The New York Times, April 2, 2016.
  7. Barr wrote a resignation letter: “Read William Barr’s Resignation Letter to President Trump,” The Washington Post, December 14, 2020.
  8. Trump accepted the resignation and tweeted: @realDonaldTrump, “Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family…” 5:39 p.m., December 14, 2020, Twitter.com.
  9. But due to Trump’s various legal and legislative challenges: See, for example, Ann Gerhart, “Election Results Under Attack: Here Are the facts,” updated March 11, 2021, washingtonpost.com.
  10. nearly two-thirds of the House GOP: Sarah Binder, “Why So Many House Republicans Co-Signed Texas’s Lawsuit to Overturn the Election,” The Washington Post, December 15, 2020.
  11. “Many millions of us”: “McConnell Applauds President Trump & Congratulates President-Elect Biden,” December 15, 2020, mcconnell.senate.gov.
  12. Biden said the crowd: Video: “Vice President Joe Biden Visits McConnell Center,” University of Louisville, February 11, 2011.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  1. But Trump soon sent off a tweet: @realDonaldTrump, 7:11 a.m., December 11, 2020, Twitter.com.
  2. Pfizer-BioNTech was authorized: “Pfizer and BioNTech Celebrate Historic First Authorization in the U.S. of Vaccine to Prevent Covid-19,” Pfizer, December 11, 2020.
  3. One week later: “FDA Takes Additional Action in Fight Against COVID-19 by Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for Second Covid-19 Vaccine,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, December 18, 2020.
  4. But distribution lagged: “Trends in Number of Covid-19 Vaccinations in the U.S.,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends.
  5. Coronavirus infections and deaths: See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data Tracker, covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends.
  6. Klain watched: Ibid.
  7. More than 140,000 Americans: “The Employment Situation: December 2020,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 8, 2021.
  8. 17 Ebola treatment units: “Fact Sheet: The U.S. Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa,” October 6, 2014, Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov.
  9. As a businessman, Zients’s philosophy: Chad Day, Luis Melgar, and John McCormick, “Biden’s Wealthiest Cabinet Officials: Zients, Lander, Rice Top the List,” The Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2021.
  10. These are state and locally run organizations: “Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Community Health Centers Vaccination Program to Launch Next Week and Another Increase in States, Tribes, & Territories’ Vaccine Supply,” Briefing Room, February 9, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  11. More than 91 percent: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Ensuring Equity in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Engaging Federally Qualified Health Centers,” Hrsa.gov.
  12. He said checks should be: Rachel Siegel, Josh Dawsey, and Mike Debonis, “Trump Calls on Congress to Approve $2,000 Stimulus Checks, Hinting He Might Not Sign Relief Bill Without Changes,” The Washington Post, December 22, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  1. A historic number of Republican women: “Results: Women Candidates in the 2020 Elections,” Rutgers University: Center for American Women and Politics, November 4, 2020.
  2. The New York Times later called it a “stinging setback”: Adam Nagourney, “A Stinging Setback in California Is a Warning for Democrats in 2022,” The New York Times, December 26, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  1. Byrne, a business gadfly: Cade Metz and Julie Creswell, “Patrick Byrne, Overstock CEO Resigns After Disclosing Romance with Russian Agent,” The New York Times, August 22, 2019.
  2. He also claimed: Sheelah Kolhatkar, “A Tycoon’s Deep-State Conspiracy Dive,” The New Yorker, December 7, 2020.
  3. Truman had tried to use it: Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 US 579 (1952).
  4. That Monday, December 21: Reuters video: “ ‘No Plan to Do So,’ Barr Says of Appointing Special Counsels,” The New York Times, December 21, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  1. Instead, the amendment: U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII.
  2. Republicans now controlled more delegations in the House: Kyle Kondik, “Republican Edge in Electoral College Tie Endures,” University of Virginia, Center for Politics, January 9, 2020.
  3. Pence told Quayle that he had studied the video: “Electoral Ballot Count,” C-SPAN, January 6, 1993.
  4. There was a lawsuit in federal court: Jacques Billeaud, “US Supreme Court Asked to Decertify Biden’s Win in Arizona,” Associated Press, December 13, 2020.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  1. becoming the first senator to do so: “Sen. Hawley Will Object During Electoral College Certification Process,” December 30, 2020, Hawley.senate.gov.
  2. “JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!”: @realDonaldTrump, 2:06 p.m., December 30, 2020, Twitter.com.
  3. His allies: Brian Schwartz, “Pro-Trump Dark Money Groups Organized the Rally That Led to Deadly Capitol Hill Riot,” CNBC, January 9, 2021.
  4. In August, Bannon had been charged: Matt Zapotosky, Josh Dawsey, Rosalind S. Helderman, and Shayna Jacobs, “Steve Bannon Charged with Defrauding Donors in Private Effort to Raise Money for Trump’s Border Wall,” The Washington Post, August 20, 2020.

CHAPTER FORTY

  1. Lee received a two-page memo: Memorandum by John Eastman, “Privileged and Confidential: January 6 scenario,” sent to Mike Lee on January 2, 2020, obtained by the authors.
  2. “faithless” electors: Robert Barnes, “Supreme Court Considers ‘Faithless’ Presidential Electors and Finds More Questions than Answers,” The Washington Post, May 13, 2020.
  3. Trump adviser Stephen Miller: Mark Joyella, “On Fox News, Stephen Miller Says ‘An Alternate Set of Electors’ Will Certify Trump as Winner,” Forbes, December 14, 2020.
  4. Mark Meadows grew up as a self-described “fat nerd”: Gabriella Muñoz, “Mark Meadows’ Journey from ‘Fat Nerd’ to Trump Chief of Staff,” The Washington Times, March 12, 2020.
  5. He openly cried: Maggie Haberman, “For Mark Meadows, Transition from Trump Confidant to Chief of Staff Is a Hard One,” The New York Times, April 16, 2020.
  6. Several states had recorded: Reuters staff, “Fact check: Clarifying the Comparison Between Popular Vote and Counties Won in the 2020 Election,” Reuters, December 29, 2020.
  7. Trump’s lawyers had now lost: Zoe Tillman, “Trump and His Allies Have Lost Nearly 60 Election Fights in Court (And Counting),” BuzzFeed News, December 14, 2020.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  1. The first memo: Memorandum sent to Lindsey Graham from Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump Legal Defense Team, “Deceased People Who Voted in the 2021 Election in GA,” January 4, 2021, obtained by the authors.
  2. A second: “Voting Irregularities, Impossibilities, and Illegalities in the 2020 General Election,” January 4, 2021, obtained by the authors.
  3. Turning to a PowerPoint printout: “Analysis of Vote Irregularities in Georgia’s 2020 General Election,” January 2021, obtained by the authors.
  4. another “confidential” memo: “Confidential Memo on Voting Irregularities in Georgia,” January 3, 2021, obtained by the authors.
  5. Holmes received an email: Email to Lindsey Graham from Rudolph Giuliani, “Voting Irregularities, Impossibilities, and Illegalities in the 2020 General Election,” January 4, 2021.
  6. that touted conspiracies: Rachel Abrams, “One America News Network Stays True to Trump,” The New York Times, April 18, 2021.
  7. He found a 2013 Supreme Court case: Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Ariz., Inc., 570 U.S. 1 (2013).

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  1. “I know we all”: “Vice President Pence Remarks at Georgia Senate Campaign Event,” C-SPAN, January 4, 2021.
  2. That night in Georgia, Trump tore: “President Trump Remarks at Georgia U.S. Senate Campaign Event,” C-SPAN, January 4, 2021.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  1. Metropolitan Police arrested five people: Marissa J. Lang, Emily Davies, Peter Hermann, Jessica Contrera, and Clarence Williams, “Trump Supporters Pour Into Washington to Begin Demonstrating Against Election,” The Washington Post, January 5, 2021.
  2. Trump directed his campaign: Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni, “Pence Said to Have Told Trump He Lacks Power to Change Election Result,” The New York Times, January 5, 2020.
  3. “If Vice President @Mike_Pence”: @realDonaldTrump, 1:00 a.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  4. Trump had promised a “wild” protest: @realDonaldTrump, “Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud ‘more than sufficient’ to swing victory to Trump. A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” December 19, 2020, Twitter.com.
  5. “To be clear”: Letter from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to Acting Attorney General Rosen, Secretary McCarthy, and Acting Secretary Miller, January 5, 2021. See @MayorBowser, 1:53 p.m., January 5, 2021, Twitter.com.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  1. “All Mike Pence has to do”: @realDonaldTrump, 8:17 a.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  2. Before Trump took the stage: Video of Rudolph Giuliani’s Remarks: “ ‘Let’s Have Trial by Combat’ over Election,” Reuters, January 6, 2021.
  3. Pence released his two-page letter: @Mike_Pence, 1:02 p.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  4. Following Trump’s hour-long speech: “Former President Donald Trump’s January 6 Speech,” CNN Transcript, February 8, 2021.
  5. “No, I want to be here”: Lesley Stahl, “Nancy Pelosi on the Riot at the Capitol, Congress’ Mandate Under Joe Biden and the Youth in the Democratic Party,” CBS News transcript, from CBS’s 60 Minutes, January 11, 2021.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  1. removed from the Senate floor at 2:13 p.m.: Elyse Samuels, Joyce Sohyun Lee, Sarah Cahlan, and Meg Kelly, “Previously Unpublished Video Shows Pence, Romney, Schumer and Others Rushing to Evacuate the Capitol,” The Washington Post, February 10, 2021.
  2. Trump tweeted: @realDonaldTrump, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!” 2:24 p.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  3. Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed: Dalton Bennett, Emma Brown, Atthar Mirza, Sarah Cahlan, Joyce Sohyun Lee, Meg Kelly, Elyse Samuels, Jon Swaine, “41 Minutes of Fear: A Video Timeline from Inside the Capitol Siege,” The Washington Post, January 16, 2021.
  4. And one remark stood out: Aaron Blake, “9 Witnesses Who Could Have Offered Vital Testimony at Trump’s Impeachment Trial,” The Washington Post, February 13, 2021.
  5. At 3:13 p.m., Trump sent out a tweet: @realDonaldTrump, 3:13 p.m., January 6, 2020, Twitter.com.
  6. Biden shelved plans: “President-elect Biden Remarks on U.S. Capitol Protesters,” C-SPAN, January 6, 2021.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  1. Pence called Christopher Miller: Lisa Mascaro, Ben Fox, and Lolita C. Baldor, “ ‘Clear the Capitol,’ Pence Pleaded, Timeline of Riot Shows,” Associated Press, April 10, 2021.
  2. They decided on a video: “President Trump Video Statement on Capitol Protesters,” C-SPAN, January 6, 2021.
  3. Seven minutes later: @USMarshalsHQ, 4:24 p.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  4. A photo of Hawley, his fist raised: Katie Bernard, “A Photographer and a Fist Pump. The Story Behind the Image That Will Haunt Josh Hawley,” The Kansas City Star, January 7, 2021.
  5. ready to just end the drama: Matthew Choi, “Loeffler Reverses on Challenging Biden’s Win After Riot at Capitol,” Politico, January 6, 2021.
  6. “These are the things”: @realDonaldTrump, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!,” 6.01 p.m., January 6, 2021, Twitter.com.
  7. “When I arrived in Washington this morning”: Senator Kelly Loeffler floor statement, “I Cannot Now in Good Conscience Object,” C-SPAN, January 6, 2021.
  8. Senator Mike Lee was solemn: “Sen. Lee Speaks on Counting Electoral Votes,” January 6, 2021, lee.senate.gov.
  9. “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey”: “Graham Addresses Electoral Results on Senate Floor,” January 6, 2021, lgraham.senate.gov.
  10. Shortly after 3:40 a.m.: CBS News staff, “Pence Announces Biden’s Victory After Congress Completes Electoral Count,” CBS News, January 7, 2021.
  11. Pence headed out to his motorcade: Josh Dawsey and Ashley Parker, “Inside the Remarkable Rift Between Donald Trump and Mike Pence,” The Washington Post, January 11, 2021.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  1. Pelosi and Schumer: “Joint Statement on Call to Vice President Pence on Invoking 25th Amendment,” January 7, 2021, speaker.gov/newsroom.
  2. Pence worked: The Editorial Board, “Donald Trump’s Final Days: The Best Outcome Would Be for Him to Resign to Spare the U.S. Another Impeachment Fight,” The Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2021.
  3. Trump’s secretary of transportation: @SecElaineChao, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. department of Transportation,” Resignation letter, 1:36 p.m., January 7, 2021, Twitter.com.
  4. Later, at the airport: Paul P. Murphy, Gregory Wallace, Ali Zaslav, and Clare Foran, “Trump Supporters Confront and Scream at Sen. Lindsey Graham,” CNN, January 10, 2021.
  5. In actuality, South Korea is 29 percent Christian: Phillip Connor, “6 Facts About South Korea’s Growing Christian Population,” Pew Research Center, August 12, 2014.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  1. The information in this chapter comes from deep background interviews.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  1. Some 4,000 people: “Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory,” CDC Data Tracker, covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends.
  2. losing 140,000 jobs in December: “U.S. Current Employment Statistics Highlights: December 2020,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 8, 2021, bls.gov.
  3. earning Trump the distinction: Glen Kessler, “Biden’s Claim that Trump Will Be the First President with a Negative Jobs Record,” The Washington Post, October 2, 2020.
  4. An expansion of the child tax credit: “DeLauro, DelBene, Torres Introduce Legislation to Expand the Child Tax Credit to Permanently Give Families Monthly Payments and Cut Child Poverty Nearly in Half,” February 8, 2021, delauro.house.gov.
  5. and long an outspoken advocate for children: Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, The Least Among Us: Waging the Battle for the Vulnerable (New York: The New Press, 2017).

CHAPTER FIFTY

  1. They all read it: Unclassified “Memorandum for the Joint Force,” The Joint Chiefs of Staff, January 12, 2021.
  2. Media coverage of Milley’s letter: Alex Ward, “US Military Chiefs Warn Troops Against ‘Sedition and Insurrection’ Before Biden Inauguration,” Vox, January 12, 2021.
  3. with a 144-foot by 14-foot screen: “Historic Conmy Hall Transformed with Christie LED Wall,” Christie Digital Systems, September 24, 2020, christiedigital.com.
  4. the Boogaloo Boys: Craig Timberg, Elizabeth Dwoskin, and Souad Mekhennet, “Men Wearing Hawaiian Shirts and Carrying Guns Add a Volatile New Element to Protests,” The Washington Post, June 4, 2020.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  1. canceling its plans to hold a future major: Doug Ferguson, “PGA Championship Leaving Trump National in ’22 Tournament,” Associated Press, January 11, 2021.
  2. Another blow came: Steve Gardner, “Patriots’ Bill Belichick Declines Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump, Says He Has ‘Great Reverence’ for Democracy,” USA Today, January 11, 2001.
  3. Pence, in an unusually emotional letter: Transcript, “Read Pence’s Full Letter Saying He Can’t Claim ‘Unilateral Authority’ to Reject Electoral Votes,” PBS, January 6, 2021.
  4. The second move: “H.Res.24—Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, For High Crimes and Misdemeanors,” Congressional Record, January 11, 2021, Congress.gov.
  5. “He must go”: “The Latest: Pelosi Wants Fines for Bypassing House Security,” Associated Press, January 13, 2021.
  6. McConnell would not say: Nick Niedzwiadek, “McConnell Says He Hasn’t Ruled Out Convicting Trump in Senate Trial,” Politico, January 13, 2021.
  7. “My fellow Americans”: “A Message from President Donald Trump,” Trump White House Archives, January 13, 2021.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  1. He couched it as an emergency response: Video: “Biden Unveils $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill,” CBS News, January 15, 2021.
  2. The plan’s core components: “President Biden Announces American Rescue Plan,” Briefing Room, January 20, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  3. Some House members criticized: Letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris, January 28, 2021, signed by Representative Ilhan Omar and more than 50 Other House Democrats, omar.house.gov.
  4. But despite understanding: Mitch McConnell, The Long Game: A Memoir (New York: Sentinel, 2016).
  5. Near the end of the call: Audio of the conference call was obtained by the authors.
  6. On January 15: “A Pillow Salesman Apparently Has Some Ideas About Declaring Martial Law,” The Washington Post, January 15, 2021.
  7. Over 140 people were granted clemency: Rosalind S. Helderman, Josh Dawsey, and Beth Reinhard, “Trump Grants Clemency to 143 People in Late-Night Pardon Blast,” The Washington Post, January 20, 2021.
  8. For a split second, Biden’s voice cracked: “President-elect Biden Departure from Delaware,” C-SPAN, January 19, 2021.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  1. Trump had unexpectedly signed a final pardon: Alayna Treene, “Trump’s Final Act as President: Pardoning Jeanine Pirro’s Ex-Husband,” Axios, January 20, 2021.
  2. a crew was setting up Biden’s office: Annie Linskey, “A Look Inside Biden’s Oval Office,” The Washington Post, January 21, 2021.
  3. Harris had two Bibles: Chelsea Jane and Cleve Wootston Jr., “Kamala Harris Sworn into History with Vice-Presidential Oath,” The Washington Post, January 20, 2021.
  4. as Amanda Gorman, a young Black woman: Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country (New York: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2021).
  5. a family Bible with Celtic cross: Shane O’Brien, “Celtic Cross Featured on Joe Biden’s Irish Ancestors’ Bible Used in Inauguration,” January 21, 2021.
  6. Biden’s 2,552-word speech: “Inaugural Address by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,” January 20, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  7. 191,500 of them: Jason Samenow, “Inaugural ‘Field of Flags’ on the Mall Seen from Space,” The Washington Post, January 20, 2021.
  8. Breakfast of southern-style steak: Menu obtained by the authors.
  9. “You know, we have a tradition on Air Force Two”: “Former VP Mike Pence and Former Second Lady Karen Pence Return Home to Indiana,” WLKY News Louisville, January 20, 2021.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  1. Jen Psaki later noted: Seung Min Kim, “On His First Day, Biden Signs Executive Orders to Reverse Trump’s Policies,” The Washington Post, January 20, 2021.
  2. Biden decided to announce: “Remarks by President Biden on the Fight to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Briefing Room, January 26, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  3. Biden had announced: “Biden Says He Will Ask Americans to Wear Masks for the First 100 Days He’s in Office,” CNN, December 3, 2021.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  1. Greene had also promoted: Camila Domonoske, “QAnon Supporter Who Made Bigoted Videos Wins Ga. Primary, Likely Heading to Congress,” NPR, August 12, 2020.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  1. Senator Susan Collins: Statement: “Group of 10 Republican Senators Outline Covid-19 Relief Compromise, Request Meeting with President Biden,” January 31, 2021.
  2. One light touch: Ashley Parker, Matt Viser, and Seung Min Kim, “ ‘An Easy Choice,’ ” The Washington Post, February 7, 2021.
  3. Bill Clinton’s rebuke, in 1992: Thomas B. Edsall, “Clinton Stuns Rainbow Coalition,” The Washington Post, June 14, 1992.
  4. Biden’s plan called for: “President Biden Announces American Rescue Plan,” Briefing Room, January 20, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  1. Collins was delighted: “Senate Republicans on Covid-19 Relief Talks with President Biden,” C-SPAN, February 1, 2021.
  2. Later, The Washington Post: Ashley Parker, Matt Viser, and Seung Min Kim, “Inside Biden’s Decision to Go It Alone with Democrats on Coronavirus Relief,” The Washington Post, February 7, 2021.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

  1. Speaking on the floor: “Majority Leader Schumer Remarks on the Urgent Need to Begin the Process of Passing COVID Relief Legislation by Advancing the Budget Resolution Today,” February 2, 2021, democrats.senate.gov.
  2. Democrats poured $180 million into the campaign: Ellen Barry, “The Democrats Went All Out Against Susan Collins. Rural Maine Grimaced,” The New York Times, November 17, 2020.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

  1. “Pretty amazing room”: Maritsa Georgiou, “Tester Discusses Stimulus Proposal Talks, First Visit to Oval Office,” NBC Montana, February 3, 2021.
  2. Sanders had grown up: Bernie Sanders, “As a Child, Rent Control Kept a Roof over My Head,” CNN, July 30, 2019.
  3. Republicans had increased their proposal: “Group of 11 Republican Senators Push for Targeted $650 Billion COVID-19 Relief Plan,” March 5, 2021, collins.senate.gov.

CHAPTER SIXTY

  1. Trump had announced: “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan Between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Which Is Not Recognized by the United States as a State and Is Known as the Taliban and the United States of America,” February 29, 2020.
  2. In his 2020 memoir: Barak Obama, A Promised Land (New York: Crown, 2020), pp. 318–19.
  3. Biden was the first U.S. president: “Remarks by President Biden on the Way Forward in Afghanistan,” Treaty Room, April 14, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  4. the Taliban would resume their attacks: Jacob Knutson, “Taliban Threatens to Attack U.S. Troops as Trump Withdrawal Date Passes,” Axios, May 1, 2021.

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  1. “You can hear the mob calling”: “Trump Impeachment Trial Day Two,” transcript, CNN, February 10, 2021.
  2. “January 6th was a disgrace”: “McConnell on Impeachment: ‘Disgraceful Dereliction’ Cannot Lead Senate to ‘Defy Our Own Constitutional Guardrails,’ ” February 13, 2021, mcconnell.senate.gov.
  3. Appearing on Fox News: “Trump Is Ready to ‘Move on and Rebuild the Republican Party,’ Sen. Graham,” Fox News Sunday, February 14, 2021.
  4. he would “absolutely” support: Axios staff, “McConnell Says He’ll ‘Absolutely’ Support Trump if He’s 2024 GOP Presidential Nominee,” Axios, February 26, 2021.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  1. The Senate parliamentarian: Emily Cochrane, “Top Senate Official Disqualifies Minimum Wage from Stimulus Plan,” The New York Times, February 27, 2021.
  2. Couples making $150,000: “Fact Sheet: The American Rescue Plan Will Deliver Immediate Economic Relief to Families,” U.S. Department of Treasury, March 18, 2021, treasury.gov.
  3. Warner and the others: “Federal Reserve Chair to Sen. Warner, Broadband Is an Economic Necessity,” February 23, 2021, warner.senate.gov.
  4. $20 billion: “Three programs—the Emergency Broadband Benefit, the ARP Emergency Connectivity Fund, and the ARP Capital Projects Fund—exclusively set aside funding for digital equity policies. These three programs together total $20.371 billion,” Adie Tomer and Caroline George, “The American Rescue Plan Is the Broadband Down Payment the Country Needs,” Brookings, June 1, 2021, brookings.edu.
  5. It was a major commitment: “Statement of Sen. Warner on Senate Passage of the American Rescue Plan,” March 6, 2021, warner.se.
  6. Instead, Republicans maintained control: “House Election Results 2014,” The New York Times, December 17, 2014.
  7. largest majority: Phillip Bump, “It’s All but Official: This Will Be the Most Dominant Republican Congress Since 1929,” The Washington Post, November 5, 2014.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  1. Manchin liked it: Larry Summers, “The Biden Stimulus Is Admirably Ambitious. But It Brings Some Big Risks, Too,” The Washington Post, February 4, 2021.
  2. Biden had pledged: “Fact Sheet: 441 Federally-Supported Community Vaccination Centers in First Month of Biden-Harris Administration,” Briefing Room, February 26, 2021.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  1. who had broken ranks with Pelosi: Susan Page, “Inside Nancy Pelosi’s War with AOC and the Squad,” Politico, April 15, 2021.
  2. Schumer worked with Senator Tom Carper: Kristina Peterson, Andrew Duehren, and Richard Rubin, “Senate Democrats Overcome Impasse, Reach Agreement to Advance Covid Relief Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, March 5, 2021.
  3. “As a whip”: Transcript of The Situation Room, CNN, March 4, 2021.
  4. On the Senate floor: U.S. Government Publishing Office, Legislative Session, Congressional Record, Vol. 167, No. 42, United States Senate, March 5, 2021, “Amendment No. 972,” S1219.
  5. “You called Sanders”: “Office of Management and Budget Director Confirmation Hearing,” C-SPAN, February 10, 2021.
  6. Tanden ultimately withdrew: Seung Min Kim and Tyler Pager, “Tanden Withdraws as Budget Nominee in Biden’s First Cabinet Defeat,” The Washington Post, March 2, 2021.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  1. Manchin seemed to be coming back: Emily Chochrane, “Senate Is on Track for Stimulus Vote After Democrats Agree to Trim Jobless Aid,” The New York Times, March 5, 2021.
  2. Schumer’s public announcement: U.S. Government Publishing Office, Legislative Session, Congressional Record, Vol. 167, No. 42, United States Senate, March 5, 2021, S1230; Erica Werner, Jeff Stein, and Tony Romm, “Senate Democrats Announce Deal on Unemployment Insurance, Allowing Biden Bill to Move Forward,” The Washington Post, March 5, 2021.
  3. Portman was frustrated: “Senators Wyden and Portman on Extending Unemployment Benefits to September,” C-SPAN, March 5, 2021.
  4. On Saturday, March 6: H.R.1319—American Rescue Plan Act, as amended, passed in the Senate by Yea-Nay Vote 50–49, March 6, 2021, 12:12 p.m.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

  1. The next day: “Remarks by President Biden on the Anniversary of the COVID-19 Shutdown,” East Room, White House, March 11, 2021, White House.gov.
  2. On March 12: “Remarks by President Biden on the American Rescue Plan,” Rose Garden, White House, March 12, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  1. Speaker Pelosi’s: For the People Act of 2021, H.R.1, 117th Congress (2021–2022).
  2. In all, nearly 400 bills: “Voting Laws Roundup: May 2021,” Brennan Center for Justice, May 28, 2021, brennancenter.org.
  3. Since January, nearly 20 new laws: Ibid.
  4. A GOP-pushed audit: “Arizona Election Audit Enters New Phase as Ballot Count Ends,” Associated Press, June 25, 2021.
  5. In Georgia: Mark Niesse, “More Ballot Reviews Pending in Georgia, Sowing Doubts in Elections,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 10, 2021.
  6. On June 22, Democrats failed: Dave Morgan, “Democrats Hope a Voting Rights Failure Sparks Change on Senate Filibuster,” Reuters, June 22, 2021.

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

  1. In a 2015 interview: “President Vladimir Putin Part 1,” interview with Charlie Rose, September 28, 2015, charlierose.com. The Kremlin reported the quote somewhat differently: “You know every stage of your life has an impact on you. Whatever we do, all the knowledge, the experience, they stay with us, we carry them on, use them in one way or another. In this sense, yes, you are right.” See “Interview to American TV channel CBS and PBS,” September 29, 2015, en.kremlin.ru.
  2. McChrystal had written: Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010), p. 161; Bob Woodward, “McChrystal: More Forces or ‘Mission Failure,’ ” The Washington Post, September 21, 2009, p. A1.
  3. To back up the request… “Poignant Vision”: Woodward, Obama’s Wars, pp. 244–45.

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

  1. They hoped all troops… home by mid-July: Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Eric Schmitt, and Helene Cooper, “Pentagon Accelerates Withdrawal from Afghanistan,” The New York Times, May 25, 2021.
  2. Biden gave a 16-minute address: “Remarks by President Biden on the Way Forward in Afghanistan,” Treaty Room, April 14, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  3. Biden then visited: Anna Gearan, Karen DeYoung, and Tyler Page, “Biden Tells Americans ‘We Cannot Continue the Cycle’ in Afghanistan as He Announces Troop Withdrawal,” The Washington Post, April 14, 2021.
  4. Biden’s decision was a mistake: Kate Martyr, “George W. Bush: Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal ‘A Mistake,’ ” DW, July 14, 2021.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

  1. Player, 5-foot-6: “Donald Trump Cracked Fat Joke with Golf Legends at Private Ceremony Day After Insurrection,” TMZ Sports, February 25, 2021.
  2. In all, 15: “Senators up for Re-Election in 2020,” U.S. Senate Press Gallery, July 9, 2021, dailypress.senate.
  3. he liked to play “Russian Roulette”: Bob Woodruff, Jamie Hennessey, and James Hill, “Herschel Walker: ‘Tell the World My Truth,’ ” ABC News, April 15, 2008.
  4. He had cheered Trump’s: Bill Barrow, “In Georgia, Herschel Walker Puts GOP in a Holding Pattern,” Associated Press, June 26, 2021.
  5. gaining 54 seats: Martine Powers and Reuben Fischer-Baum, “How to Flip the House,” The Washington Post, June 26, 2018.
  6. his firm’s May 21 poll: “National Survey Results General Election Likely Voters Political Environment, Trends & Analysis,” McLaughlin & Associates, May 2021, mclaughlinonline.com.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

  1. Biden had been asked: “Transcript: ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos Interviews President Joe Biden,” ABC News, March 16, 2021.
  2. The Kremlin had called: Sarah Rainsford, “Putin on Biden: Russian President Reacts to US Leader’s Criticism,” BBC News, March 18, 2021.
  3. “It takes one to know one”: Video: “Putin on Biden Killer Remark,” Reuters, March 18, 2021, youtube.com.
  4. Biden later told: Evan Osnos, “The Biden Agenda,” The New Yorker, July 20, 2014.
  5. Biden frequently cited: Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill, All Politics Is Local (New York: Random House, 1995).
  6. On April 15: “Fact Sheet: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government,” Briefing Room, April 15, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  7. Biden and Putin later announced: “Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Meeting Between President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” Briefing Room, May 25, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  8. “I know there were a lot of hype”: “Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference,” Hôtel du Parc des Eaux-Vives Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  9. “Why are you so confident”: Ibid.
  10. “But,” Collins pressed: Ibid.
  11. “The progressives don’t like me”: David Brooks, “Has Biden Changed? He Tells Us,” The New York Times, May 20, 2021.
  12. In late June, Biden announced: “Remarks by President Biden on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal,” East Room, June 24, 2021, WhiteHouse.gov.
  13. Biden ultimately issued a 628-word: Seung Min Kim and Sean Sullivan, “Biden Tries to Move Beyond Flubbed Rollout of Infrastructure Deal,” The Washington Post, June 29, 2021.
  14. McConnell pounced: “Democrats Pull the Rug out from Under Bipartisan Infrastructure Negotiators with ‘Unserious Demands,’ ” June 24, 2021, republicanleader.senate.gov.
  15. Biden fell to his knees: “President Biden Departure from Joint Base Andrews,” C-SPAN, March 19, 2021.
  16. The White House assured: Katie Rogers, “Biden Is ‘Doing 100 Percent Fine’ After Tripping While Boarding Air Force One,” The New York Times, March 19, 2021.
  17. There was hope: CDC Data Tracker, “Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory,” covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends.
  18. The Centers for Disease Control announced: “Remarks by President Biden on the COVID-19 Response and the Vaccination Program,” Rose Garden, White House, May 13, 2021, 3:58 p.m., WhiteHouse.gov.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

  1. Republicans were only down five seats: Nathan L. Gonzales, “These 4 States Could Decide Control of Congress in 2022,” Roll Call, June 16, 2021.
  2. “They were peaceful people”: Transcript of Donald J. Trump interview with Maria Bartiromo, Sunday Morning Futures, Fox News, July 11, 2021.
  3. had charged more than 500 people: “Six Months Since the January 6th Attack on the Capitol,” United States Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, justice.gov.

EPILOGUE

  1. “We didn’t lose”: “Former President Trump Holds Rally in Ohio,” C-SPAN, June 26, 2021.
  2. About 90 minutes into the rally: Ibid.
  3. burdened by the heavy shadow: See Bob Woodward, Shadow (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999), p. 13.
  4. Five years ago: Bob Woodward and Robert Costa on-the-record interview with Donald J. Trump, March 31, 2016.