Congressman Mark Meadows: Philip Rucker, Robert Costa, and Josh Dawsey, “‘A Tailspin’: Under Siege, Trump Propels the Government and Markets into Crisis,” Washington Post, Dec. 20, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-tailspin-under-siege-trump-propels-the-government-and-markets-into-crisis/2018/12/20/e30347e0-046b-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html?utm_term=.961668fb2900.
At the end of December 21: Erica Werner, Damian Paletta, and John Wagner, “Major Parts of the Federal Government Begin Shutting Down for an Indefinite Closure,” Washington Post, Dec. 21, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-leans-on-mcconnell-to-pass-spending-bill-with-border-funding-in-senate/2018/12/21/31bb453a-0517-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html.
“Do we succumb”: Andrew Blake, “Donald Trump Succumbed to ‘Tyranny of Radio Hosts’ over Government Shutdown: GOP Senator,” Washington Times, Dec. 22, 2018, www.apnews.com/0ca586c8ad6c3f7f73a0cfa33e74be39.
In the weeks that followed: Anne Gearan, Josh Dawsey, and John Hudson, “‘They Screwed This Whole Thing Up’: Inside the Attempt to Derail Trump’s Erratic Syria Withdrawal,” Washington Post, Jan. 13, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/they-screwed-the-whole-thing-up-inside-the-attempt-to-derail-trumps-erratic-syria-withdrawal/2019/01/13/0ae1149c-1365-11e9-803c-4ef28312c8b9_story.html?utm_term=.a1dcbf520820.
The night of Christmas Eve: Eric Levenson, “Trump Asks 7-Year-Old, ‘Are You Still a Believer in Santa?,’” CNN, Dec. 26, 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/12/25/politics/trump-santa-phone-call/index.html.
“Because at 7”: Hannah Alani, “Do a ‘Marginal’ Number of 7-Year-Olds Believe in Santa? That’s What Trump Told a SC Girl,” Post and Courier, Dec. 25, 2018, www.postandcourier.com/news/do-a-marginal-number-of--year-olds-believe-in/article_2c86d3ec-0876-11e9-a470-87234a04ef7e.html.
Trump also jeopardized: Paul Sonne and Philip Rucker, “Trump’s Visit to Iraq Prompts Concerns About Politicization of Military,” Washington Post, Dec. 27, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-visit-to-iraq-prompts-concerns-about-politicization-of-military/2018/12/27/42aa20fe-0a13-11e9-892d-3373d7422f60_story.html?utm_term=.15f6c712a1df.
“You just fucked it all up”: Jonathan Swan, “Scoop: Trump Dressed Down Mulvaney in Front of Congressional Leaders,” Axios, Jan. 13, 2019, www.axios.com/donald-trump-mick-mulvaney-government-shutdown-meeting-7d84ea72-5aaf-45e0-a707-5f955836070e.html.
By the beginning of January: Carol D. Leonnig, “A Beefed-Up White House Legal Team Prepares Aggressive Defense of Trump’s Executive Privilege as Investigations Loom Large,” Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-beefed-up-white-house-legal-team-prepares-aggressive-defense-of-trumps-executive-privilege-as-investigations-loom-large/2019/01/09/066b8618-1045-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html.
On January 23: Josh Dawsey, “Giuliani’s Missteps Frustrate Trump but Underscore the Unique Role He Plays for the President,” Washington Post, Jan. 23, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/giulianis-missteps-frustrate-trump-but-underscore-the-unique-role-he-plays-for-the-president/2019/01/23/447ec0a4-1f23-11e9-bda9-d6efefc397e8_story.html?utm_term=.9250633bd190.
“not being able to make a hamburger”: Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey, “Trump Two Years in: The Dealmaker Who Can’t Seem to Make a Deal,” Washington Post, January 20, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-two-years-in-the-dealmaker-who-cant-seem-to-make-a-deal/2019/01/20/ecdede96-1bf9-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html.
On February 15: Damian Paletta, Mike DeBonis, and John Wagner, “Trump Declares National Emergency on Southern Border in Bid to Build Wall,” Washington Post, Feb. 15, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-border-emergency-the-president-plans-a-10-am-announcement-in-the-rose-garden/2019/02/15/f0310e62-3110-11e9-86ab-5d02109aeb01_story.html?utm_term=.516e628ecdb8.
So on February 22: Paul Sonne, “Pentagon Sending 1,000 More Troops to the Mexican Border,” Washington Post, Feb. 22, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-sending-another-1000-troops-to-the-mexico-border/2019/02/22/c4e06998-36e6-11e9-946a-115a5932c45b_story.html.
Chapter Twenty-three: Loyalty and Truth
Cohen pleaded guilty: Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, and Rosalind S. Helderman, “Michael Cohen, Trump’s Former Lawyer, Pleads Guilty to Lying to Congress About Moscow Project,” Washington Post, Nov. 29, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michael-cohen-trumps-former-lawyer-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-congress/2018/11/29/5fac986a-f3e0-11e8-bc79-68604ed88993_story.html?utm_term=.b029279bf91e.
The morning of February 27: “Michael Cohen’s Prepared Statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform,” Washington Post, Feb. 27, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/michael-cohen-s-prepared-statement-to-the-house-committee-on-oversight-and-reform/d2cdc193-2f0c-44bb-b2f8-e7dadddf545e_note.html?questionId=a194ac05-9c53-4be2-868d-777713d7c30e&utm_term=.9c1a0f6342e8