p. 65: US intel distilled 35 pages of sourced material down to 1.5 pages to present to Trump in initial meeting, a "summary that focused on the allegation of coordination between the Russians and the [Trump] campaign." 2/
p.67: "All of the sources fit together and told a consistent story from different vantages in the Kremlin, Clapper said. These human sources had been so-called "legacy sources" -- they had been right in their intelligence and assessments over the years..." 3/
p. 67: "...and at least one source had provided reliable information going back a generation. What HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED: One source was in such jeopardy that the CIA wanted to exfiltrate that person from Russia to safety abroad or in the United States." 4/
p. 67: "The source refused to leave, apparently out of fear of repercussions against the person's family if the source suddenly left Russia or disappeared." 5/
p. 68: "I don't believe in human sources," Trump said. "I don't trust human intelligence and those spies."
This has also not been previously reported: The CIA believed they had at least SIX human sources supporting this finding [that Russia coordinated w/ Trump campaign]." 6/
This has also not been previously reported: The CIA believed they had at least SIX human sources supporting this finding [that Russia coordinated w/ Trump campaign]." 6/
p. 80: "What the hell! Priebus thought as he scanned a February 9 story in The Washington Post reporting that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had discussed sanctions against Russia with the Russian ambassador before Trump was in office." 7/
p. 81: "Flynn had denied discussing sanctions at least 10 times, Priebus calculated. He tracked down WH Counsel McGahn & asked him if he could get transcripts of conversations between Flynn & Kislyak that FBI had intercepted during routine monitoring of Russian ambassador." 8/
p. 81: "Pence helped to review transcripts. According to 6-page internal WH Counsel Office memo, Flynn said if he & Kislyak discussed sanctions, 'It was only bc Kislyak brought it up. From transcripts, Flynn brought up issue. McGahn & Priebus agree Flynn has to be let go.' 9/
p. 81: "In all 3 transcripts, Flynn & the ambassador discussed sanctions. In the last call, the ambassador thanked Flynn for his advice for his advice on the sanctions and said that the Russians would follow it." Recall this is BEFORE Trump took office. Obama was still POTUS. 10/
p. 81: "This explained Putin's curiously passive response to the sanctions. Normally, the Russian president would be expected to retaliate, expelling some Americans from Russia. But the day after Obama announced the sanctions, Putin announced he would not." 11/
p. 82: "President*-elect Trump praised Putin, tweeting 'Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!' The sequence suggested that Trump might have known of Flynn's role." 12/
p. 82: "Flynn's resignation was announced on February 13. The chief reason offered publicly was that Flynn had lied to VP Pence. Trump told others in his administration he had let Flynn go because Flynn was not up to the job. Flynn denied that he had committed "treason." 13/
p. 86: "Trump needed a new national security adviser, and he wanted to act fast. He said he was getting killed in the media and was convinced a new person would erase the Flynn debacle. Another general perhaps?" 14/
p. 86: "Bannon believed the media was Trump's main concern. Everything was through the eyes of, 'Does he look the part?' Everything was movies. High on the list was Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, who was the rare combination of war hero and scholar." 15/
p. 86: "McMaster was going to get 2 hours with Trump. Bannon offered advice: Don't lecture Trump. He doesn't like professors. He doesn't like intellectuals. And wear your uniform.
McMaster wore a suit." 16/
McMaster wore a suit." 16/
p. 87: "The meeting with Trump did not go well. After McMaster left, Trump asked, "Who was that guy? He wrote a book, didn't he? It said bad things about people. I thought you told me he was in the Army. He dressed like a beer salesman." 17/
p. 87: "Next to be interviewed was John Bolton, a far-right former U.N. ambassador. He was a regular on Fox News. His answers were fine, but Trump did not like his big, bushy mustache. He did not look the part." 18/
p. 88: "That night, Jared Kushner said that all the media loved McMaster - combat veteran, thinker, author. "But Trump's got no chemistry with this guy," Bannon reminded him. The next day, Bolton came in. He was fine, but still had the mustache. 19/
p. 89: "McMaster arrived in his uniform. He looked better - high and tight. There was better chemistry, though not great. "You know, we're getting killed with bad stories on the Flynn thing," Trump said. "Let's just make a decision."
"The media loves McMaster," Jared said. 20/
"The media loves McMaster," Jared said. 20/
p. 89: "Get him over here," Trump said. "What do you think is going to happen?" McMaster asked Bannon. "I think president may offer you the job." "I can't tell the president I can take it. I have to tell the Army," "Just play it by ear," Bannon said. "We'll figure it out." 21/
p. 89: "That was the Trump way. Playing by ear, acting on impulse.
"Do you want this job?" Trump asked McMaster. "Yes, sir." "You got it," Trump said. "Get the media. Get the cameras in here." He wanted a picture with his latest general who looked out of Central Casting." 22/
"Do you want this job?" Trump asked McMaster. "Yes, sir." "You got it," Trump said. "Get the media. Get the cameras in here." He wanted a picture with his latest general who looked out of Central Casting." 22/
p. 271: "[Trump's] clearly distracted," Porter told McMaster. "He's focused on this news about Russia." Leaving the plane for one rally, Trump said, "I think I'm going to spend the first 10 minutes just attacking the media." /23
