Donald Trump on Principles & Values 2016 Republican incumbent President; 2000 Reform Primary Challenger for President

Sub-sections under Principles & Values:
• Birtherism
• Business Principles
• Impeachment
• Mueller Report
• Pandemics
• Past Campaigns
• Personal Background
• Religion
• Scandals
• Other issues under Principles & Values

The insurrection took place on November 3rd, not January 6th

"It was a massive rally, with hundreds of thousands of people," Trump claimed in response to the question. "I think it was the largest crowd I've ever spoken before. And the real--I reverse it--the insurrection took place on November 3rd, that was Election Day, and before and after. That was to me, the insurrection. And January 6th was a protest."

Trump then reiterated his claims about crowd size along with another familiar tactic meant to deceive the public about the horrific events at the Capitol: "And then, unfortunately, some bad things happened," he said, "but also, the other side had some very bad things happen."

FactCheck: Incorrectly claims "insurrection was on Nov. 3"

THE FACTS: There was no insurrection on Election Day. There was a free and fair election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Despite Trump's repeated claims, no evidence of widespread corruption has ever been found. Every state has certified its results as fair and accurate, and numerous state and federal election officials--including Trump's own attorney general at the time--have said there was no evidence of systemic fraud or errors of a scale that could have possibly change the outcome. Judges have widely agreed, even some appointed by Trump. The government's then-top cybersecurity and election officials declared the election "the most secure in American history" with "no evidence that any voting system deleted or changed votes, or was in any way compromised." Biden won by the same Electoral College margin that Trump did 2016. But Biden won the popular vote, getting 7 million-plus more votes than Trump.

We will make America great again; it's very simple

[Regarding Attorney General William Barr], I always liked him. But I said, "Bill, you got to move your ass. Our country is under attack." But he became a different man when the Democrats viciously stated that they wanted to impeach him. They went wild. "We want to impeach him. We're going to impeach Bill Barr. We're going to impeach him." He became different. I understand that. I didn't become different. I got impeached twice. I didn't change. I became worse.

No other president had audience chant they love him

Donald Trump: Thank you very much, so nice. I asked somebody, because we really liked Ronald Reagan. He was a great President. I said, "Did anybody ever say that to Ronald Reagan or to any of our great." and to the best of all of these political professionals' knowledge and pollsters', nobody's ever heard that chant before. So it's an honor. It's a great honor.

You will never take back our country with weakness

He suggested that his supporters "walk down to the Capitol" to contest "this egregious assault on our democracy."

He later addressed the nation, per Biden's request, but in a dangerous video in which he doubled down on his allegations of a fraudulent election and told the rioters to "go home" and that he loved them and they were "special."

Following the video, Trump was banned for 12-24 hours from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. YouTube removed the video, as did other social media platforms. Twitter, which flagged the video before removing it so that it could not be liked or shared, said it was in "severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy."

I've done a great job; next year is going to be better

I could be more presidential if not for media fake news

TRUMP: I'm fighting a battle. It's a big battlefield, and I have a lot of forces against me. I have the media, which I call the fake news, because a lot of it is fake. I'm fighting a lot of forces. Sometimes you don't have time to be totally, as you would say, presidential.

I'm president of everybody, but they're Democrat-run cities

TRUMP: They are.

Q: They're American states.

TRUMP: No. The Democrat-run states are the ones that are doing badly. If you look at New York, if you look at Illinois, if you look at a lot of different places, they're doing poorly. And cities in particular are being run so poorly.

Q: Don't you have a responsibility to those states and cities as well?

TRUMP: .largely because of the debt, but largely because of the crime. They don't want to do anything about crime. They have sanctuary cities where they're protecting criminals. They have things that the Republicans don't have. I'm the president of everybody, but I don't want to say it, but they're Democrat-run cities. It is what it is.

America is the greatest nation to ever exist

But American forces cannot be the policemen for the entire world. We're all over the world. And a lot of times, we're not even appreciated. We can't be the policemen for the world and the democracy builders. We just can't do that for every nation that seems to have difficulty, especially for those nations that don't appreciate what we do--and there are many of them.

Desperate far-left radicals demand absolute conformity

OpEd: Human hand grenade: razed and remade Washington

There are those that think I'm a very stable genius

1. At a NATO summit, in July 2018, he labeled himself "a very stable genius" as he tried to dismiss a reporter's question about whether he would reverse his support for NATO.
2. In a July 2019 tweet storm, Trump wrote of himself, "What you have now, so great looking and smart, a true Stable genius!"
3. In September 2019, Trump quoted himself on twitter by writing; A Very Stable Genius!" Thank you."
4. And in October 2019, as he defended his conduct on a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Trump remarked ,"There are those that think I'm a very stable genius, okay? I watch my words very, very closely."

2018: Trump's lawyer disbarred for Stormy Daniel payoff

Q: "Did you know about the $130,000 payment to Daniels?

"No," Trump said.

Q: "Then why did Michael Cohen make [the payment] if there is no truth to the allegations?"

Trump replied, "Michael is my attorney; you'll have to ask Michael."

On April 9, federal agents search [Cohen's home]; simultaneously, agents showed up at his office, cordoning off the area to collect computers, servers and boxes of files, including tax returns and other financial records.

Cohen was not merely Trump's attorney. He was his virtual vault--the keeper of his secrets and executor of his wishes, from business deals to personal affairs.

[Follow-up: Cohen was disbarred and pled guilty to eight counts including campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud.]

FactCheck: 2016 was Trump's 3rd run for presidency, not 1st

In January 2018, a national discussion was under way about the presidents fitness for office--specifically, his mental acuity and physiological health. "Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart," he continued. "I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try).

Is it true that Trump became president on his first try? No! He ran in 1999-2000 (see his Jan. 2000 campaign book, The America We Deserve), for the Reform Party nomination, and ran in 2011-2012 (see his Dec. 2011 campaign book, Time to Get Tough), for the Republican Party nomination. The mainstream press forgets those two campaigns, and Trump capitalized on that complicity in 2016--which was his third try, not his first!

Trump inaccurately claims Mueller report exonerated him

"Complete and total exoneration," Trump wrote in one tweet in March after the Mueller report was released. It's an inaccurate claim he repeated often.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler asked the former special counsel about this claim during a congressional hearing: "Did you actually totally exonerate the president?"

"No," Mueller said.

Mueller's written report was clear on this, too: "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state," the report reads in part. "While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

We don't win anymore; we lose to China and Mexico

The next day on CNN, Trump carried through on the threat. "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her whatever. In my opinion, she was off base." Had Trump just accused Megyn of attacking him because she was menstruating? It sure sounded that way, but the nuances could be debated forever, and they were.

America will never be a socialist country

Common good & compromise over revenge & retribution

Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, build new coalitions, and forge new solutions. The decision is ours to make.

We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction. Tonight, I ask you to choose greatness.

America's unique destiny is to be the beacon amongst nations

OpEd: Beat the mainstream media by reframing

Open-border socialism brings suffering, misery and decay

Government-run health care is just the beginning. Democrats are also pushing massive government control of education, private-sector businesses and other major sectors of the US economy.

Every single citizen will be harmed by such a radical shift in American culture and life. Virtually everywhere it has been tried, socialism has brought suffering, misery and decay.

Indeed, the Democrats' commitment to government-run health care is all the more menacing when paired with some Democrats' absolute commitment to end enforcement of our immigration laws. That means millions more would cross our borders illegally and take advantage of health care paid for by American taxpayers.

Today's Democratic Party is for open-borders socialism. This radical agenda would destroy American prosperity. Under its vision, costs will spiral out of control.

Judges should just interpret law, like religious liberty

OpEd: Replaces art of the compromise with art of conflict

[On Trump's staff,] you defined yourself by your enemy's reaction. Conflict was the media bait -- hence, now, the political chum. The new politics was not the art of the compromise but the art of conflict.

OpEd: Question Trump's dealings with Genovese crime family

OpEd: News media never asked Trump hard questions

Alas Trump never faced tough questioning as a candidate in a forum where he could not walk away or give nonsense answers without repeated follow-up. This is a serious problem for the future of American democracy in the television era, when appearances matter more than reality. Trump will not be the last manifestly unqualified candidate who knows how to manipulate television to his or her advantage and fool many people. To guard against that we need to have flint-eyed reporters--not just smiling television news readers--asking tough questions in public forums that are aimed at eliciting facts and truths.

OpEd: Trump's winning began with fraud and deception

So, the campaign that ended with Trump's winning the Electoral College vote despite losing the popular vote by a large margin began with fraud and deception.

OpEd: Trump was a modern P.T. Barnum

And he spent vast amounts of time currying favor with journalists, mostly those who never let facts get in the way of a good story. Only a few journalists checked and crosschecked his claims and didn't buy Trump's nonsense.

I sized him up as a modern P.T. Barnum selling tickets to a modern variation of the Feejee mermaid, one of the panoply of Barnum's famous fakes that people decided were worth a bit of their money. Trump was full of himself.

Put American citizens first, to make America great again

Dying industries will come roaring back to life. Heroic veterans will get the care they so desperately need. Our military will be given the resources its brave warriors so richly deserve. Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced. Our terrible drug epidemic will slow down & ultimately, stop. And our neglected inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.

First Amendment allows us to strongly criticize fake news

We are transferring power from Washington to the people

For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished--but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered--but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

That all changes--starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.

Agrees with Hillary on marijuana, campaign finance, trade

• Tax Reform: Both would increase income taxes on the wealthy, although Trump would lower corporate taxes and estate taxes.
• Faith-based initiatives: Both support working with religious organizations for social services.
• Drug War: Both cautiously support state-based medical marijuana while postponing other aspects.
• Campaign Finance Reform: Both would reform the current finance system, although Hillary supports public financing (while Trump avoids the issue by self-financing).
• Free Trade: Both would reform our current trade deals, although for different goals: Hillary for better labor and environmental standards; Trump for a better overall deal.

Make America great again

Our flag represents equality, hope, fairness, & courage

The city of Palm Beach decided my flag was too big. They claimed it exceeded zoning regulations. When I politely informed them I had no intention of taking down my American flag, they began fining me $250 a day until I removed it. Those fines added up to $120,000 by the time we had worked out a deal with the city.

As we all know, the flag is much more than a red, white, and blue cloth rectangle. It is a symbol to me, to you, and to people around the world. It represents equality, hope, and fairness. It represents courage and sacrifice.

I give people what they need and don't get: The Truth

You listen to the politicians and it's as if they are speaking from a script titled "How Boring Can I Possibly Be?" They're so afraid of tripping on their own words, terrified that they're going to say something unscripted and go off message--that's the phrase they use, "go off message"--that they are verbally paralyzed. They'll do anything they can to avoid answering a question--and the media plays the game with them.

I will negotiate until American is great again

5-point plan to return America to her former greatness

We can return America to her former greatness if we get tough and act smart.
1. It starts with China and OPEC. The hundreds of billions of dollars they steal from us each year must end right away. That one action alone will result in a windfall to help us pay down our debt and meet our commitments.
2. Next, we enforce a zero-tolerance policy for the kind of brainless government waste that we've all become far too accustomed to from Washington.
3. We go after the criminals and con artists who are defrauding taxpayers of $243 billion every year in Medicare fraud and billions more in other kinds of fraud, such as the disability racket.
4. We must save Social Security through economic success.
5. We need to put Americans back to work and kick the community organizer out of office so we can instill some fiscal sanity in Washington.

USA is the greatest force for freedom world has ever known

We need a leader who will get tough, get smart, and get America working again. I believe America is worth fighting for, I believe America has nothing to apologize for. I believe America can get back her greatness. But we need a tough leader for tough times--someone who isn't afraid to do hard things.

If I run & win, our country will be great again

If I decided to run, I will not be raising taxes, we'll be taking back hundreds of billions of dollars from other countries that are screwing us, we'll be creating vast numbers of productive jobs, and we'll rebuild our country so that we can be proud. Our country will be great again.

Greatest fear? I don't have any; I only have "concerns"

Do you fear owning a business? Translate that for yourself as asking: Are you concerned about owning a business yourself? Why specifically are those concerns?

It's much easier to break down a concern than it is a fear. Fear creates a block that will only hinder your creative thinking. Objectivity will remove that block & allow creative ideas to flow. If you can learn to deal with & solve problems, you'll have a much bigger margin for success.

Do not allow fear to settle into place in any part of your life. It is a defeating attitude. Recognize and zap it immediately. Replace it with a problem-solving attitude, faith in yourself, and hard work. Put that formula into working order for yourself and you'll be dealing from a position of power, not fear. That's winning.

I'm more humble than people might think

In this commercial, called "Rooftop," I am shown on the top of Trump Tower holding my Visa card when a gust of wind blows it out of my hand and down many scores of floors to the street below, which happens to be Fifth Avenue. Then I'm seeing rummaging through a Dumpster in search of my lost card, and when a well-dressed passerby on Fifth Avenue sees me emerge from the bottom of the Dumpster, she indignantly remarks, "and I thought he was doing so well!"

Here's my point: Go for having a good time because in the process of a lot of other people just might have a good time, too. My theory is: Take your work seriously, take yourself less seriously.

Non-politicians are the wave of the future

I'm too honest & too controversial to be a politician

People who inherit don't know how to earn back losses

In order to come back, you need confidence. It's hard to think of yourself as a winner when you go through the family fortune in a few years and never sample even a morsel of success.

Toughness is equally strength, intelligence, & self-respect

The opposite of toughness-weakness-makes me mad and sometimes turns my stomach. I’m not referring here to the kind of weakness that comes from being poor, sick, or disadvantaged. I’m talking about those people who can take a strong stand but just don’t.

Toughness is pride, drive, commitment, and the courage to follow through on things you believe in, even when they are under attack. It is solving problems instead of letting them fester. It is being who you really are, even when society wants you to be somebody else. Toughness is walking away from things you want because, for one reason or another, acquiring them doesn’t make sense. In business, toughness means playing by the rules but also putting those rules to work for you. It is looking at an adversary across the desk and saying, simply, No.

Our very identity as Americans is at stake

We're not starting new parties. They kept saying, he's going to start a brand new party. We have the Republican party. It's going to unite and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party. That was fake news, fake news. No. Wouldn't that be brilliant? Let's start a new party and let's divide our vote so that you can never win. No, we're not interested in that.

Cancel Culture is totalitarianism; they're erasing history

One of their political weapons is "Cancel Culture"--driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and our values. This attack on our magnificent liberty must be stopped. We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation's children, end this radical assault, and preserve our beloved American way of life.

Has not spoken with Obama or Clinton since his inauguration

"I didn't like the job that he and Biden did," Trump said at a Fox News Town Hall in March. "I didn't like the position they put us in." Seeking to justify his administration's bungled response to the novel-coronavirus outbreak in America, he attacked Obama, tweeting that his handling of the 2009 H1N1 swine flu was "a full scale disaster, with thousands dying, and nothing meaningful done to fix the testing problem."

Admired Pres. Andrew Jackson; undid Pres.Obama's Oval Office

I did a good job getting Obama to produce birth certificate

TRUMP: [Hillary's 2008 campaign] sent a highly respected reporter at McClatchy, [a news agency], to Kenya to find out about it. She failed to get the birth certificate. When I got involved, I didn't fail. I got him to give the birth certificate. So I'm satisfied with it.

Q: The birth certificate was produced in 2011. You've continued to question the president's legitimacy as recently as January 2016. So what changed your mind?

TRUMP: Well, nobody was pressing it. I figured you'd ask the question tonight, of course. But I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate. And I think I did a good job.

CLINTON: Donald knew he was going to be asked this question, so he tried to put the whole racist birther lie to bed.

2011: Obama's birth certificate is hiding something

Donald Trump followed his CPAC performance with a birther blitz on Fox News, telling the audience of Bill O' Reilly's nighttime program that he had once believed that Obama had been born in Hawaii but added, "I've seen too many things" and "come to have doubts." Under tough questioning from O' Reilly, who had dismissed the birther claims, Trump allowed that perhaps the president had a US birth certificate. But he added, "Now he may have one, but there is something on that birth certificate--maybe religion, maybe he says he's a Muslim, I don't know."

Birtherism: demanded that Obama produce birth certificate

Stoked Tea Party suspicions about Obama's legitimacy

Obama is perceived by many Tea Partiers as a foreigner, an invader pretending to be an American, a 5th columnist. Obama's past as a community organizer is taken as evidence that he works on behalf of the undeserving poor and wishes to mobilize government resources on their behalf.

One hour to produce my birth certificate; Obama should too

I've been right probably more than anybody else

Q: But does that discredit you?

TRUMP: It's going to disappear and I'll be right. I don't think so.

Q: WALLACE: Right.

TRUMP: I don't think so. I don't think so. You know why? Because I've been right probably more than anybody else.

OpEd: Charmed but threatened ruination as business strategy

Donald was successful because he was a success. That was a premise that ignored one fundamental reality: he did not and could not achieve what he was being credited with. Despite that, his ego, now unleashed, continually had to be fed, not just by his family, but by all who encountered it. New York's elite would never accept him for anything but the court jester from Queens, but they also validated his pretensions and grandiose self-image by inviting him to their parties. The more New Yorkers wanted spectacle, the more willing the media were to provide it.

OpEd: Sowing division is what Donald has always done

Despite the fluke that was his electoral advantage and, a victory that was at best suspect and at worst illegitimate, he never had his finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist; his bluster and shamefulness just happened to resonate with certain segments of the population. If what he was doing during the 2016 election hadn't worked, he would've kept doing it anyways, because lying, playing to the lowest common denominator, cheating, and sowing division are all he does. He is as incapable of adjusting to changing circumstances as he is of becoming "presidential". He did tap into a certain bigotry and inchoate rage, which he's always been good at doing.

We have to hit back at critics; you can't turn your cheek

TRUMP: Success. But it's truly a little bit more than that, because we've had great success, and there is a division; there's no question about it. Politicians have to be able to be civil. If they're not, you have to fight back. There's so many things we could do. We've done a lot. But we could do even so much more. I really believe we're going to win this next election, and when we do, the other side is going to say, "Okay, that's it. Let's get along." I really believe that.

When they hit us, we have to hit back. I wouldn't be sitting up here if I turned my cheek. You can't turn your cheek. We get hit so hard, and we have a media that is to a large extent, it's a part of the Democrat Party. I call it "fake news." I've used that, and people are using that, I guess, all over the world right now. And that's the way it is. We have to fight back.

I play to people's fantasies to Think Big

"The key to the way I promote is bravado," he wrote in "Trump: The Art of the Deal," his best -selling book. "I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts."

Donald Trump was determined to do whatever it took to "be a killer," as his father had repeatedly insisted. While working on his first hotel project in 1976, Trump persuaded a New York Times reporter to profile him as "a major New York builder," even though he had never built a thing and had no financing.

Uses wealth to declare his competence and he can't be bought

"I'm not doing that to brag because, you know what? I don't have to brag, I don't have to, believe it or not. I'm doing that to say that's the kind of thinking our country needs . We need that thinking. We have the opposite thinking. We have losers. We have losers. We have people that don't have it. We have people that are morally corrupt. We have people that are selling this country down the drain."

OpEd: input on options from multiple advisers

[Trump wanted all three options, and each appealed to Trump in their own way]: Bannon offered a rousing fxxx-you show of force; Priebus offered flattery from the congressional leadership; Kushner offered the approval of blue-chip businessmen.

A businessman, not a lifelong politician

KAINE: But why won't he release his tax returns?

PENCE: His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used. And he did it brilliantly.

KAINE: How do you know that? You haven't seen his tax returns.

PENCE: Because he's created a business that's worth billions of dollars today. This whole riff about people saying he didn't pay taxes for years--Donald Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs. And he's paid payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes...

Bought Plaza hotel for cultural value, not profit

To trumpet his 1988 purchase, he made a startling confession about his deal for the 19-story landmark hotel he called his Mona Lisa. "I can never justify the price I paid, no matter how successful the Plaza becomes, he wrote under the title, "Why I Bought the Plaza."

The price--$407 million--was not the point, Trump suggested. The hotel was etched into American culture. Scenes in The Great Gatsby were set in the Plaza. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright lived in a 2nd-floor suite while he designed the Guggenheim Museum. The Plaza was the home of Eloise, the fictional 6-year-old who carried out escapades while living with her nanny on the "tippy-top floor."

The Plaza's financial underpinnings, never sturdy, weakened. Trump's purchase--a record price for a US hotel--was tens of millions of dollars more than the next-highest bid.

OpEd: Trump empire based on Trump brand, not Trump buildings

By licensing his name without putting up money, he could often make significant profits, even when the ventures failed. The new model let Trump weather even worldwide economic collapse.

Trump's crucial insight was to turn away from building one business at a time and expand his ambition to create an empire--a series of entities that bore his name, but didn't rely on his cash. His business was the brand. It was like owning a casino--when run properly, the house wins. The gamblers would be those who paid him for the rights to his name. Trump couldn't lose.

Donate to political candidates, regardless of party

I never forgive people who deceive me

People want positive inspiration

I believe in the toot-your-own-horn theory

That got me thinking about the toot-your-own-horn theory, which is something I believe in. This poor rich guy is a perfect example of why I believe in it. The power of a name can be incredible. It can open doors like nothing else.

Until you have a "household name" you might do well to tell people who you are and what you've done. It's a start. It's also a way of networking to find out if you might have common interests.

Having an ego and acknowledging it is a healthy choice. Think about it: If you can't say great things about yourself, who do you think will? So don't be afraid to toot your own horn when you've done something worth tooting about.

Build your reputation as "responsible, professional & loyal"

When someone crosses you, get even!

A: When someone crosses you, my advice is "Get even!" That is not typical advice, but it is real-life advice. If you do not get even, you are just a schmuck! When people wrong you, go after those people, because it is a good feeling and because other people will see you doing it. I love getting even. I get screwed all the time. I go after people, and you know what? People do not play around with me as much as they do with others. They know that if they do, they are in for a big fight. Always get even. Go after people that go after you. Don't let people push you around. Always fight back and always get even. It's a

Never forgive someone who is bad; always strike back

• When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.
• Forgive good people, but never forgive someone who is bad.
• When someone attacks you publicly, always strike back.
• If you want to stop a bully, hit them right between the eyes. They will think twice about doing it again.
• Even some of the toughest top athletes are schmucks who let people steal from them and are afraid to get even.
• Always have a good reason to get even.
• Go for the jugular so that people watching will not want to mess with you.
• If someone knows they made a mistake and they apologize, forgive them and move on, but never trust them again.

The harder I work, the luckier I get

Get used to hearing the word "no" and ignoring it

Never give up; look at the solution, not the problem

1. Never give up! Do not settle for remaining in your comfort zone..
2. Be passionate! If you love what you're doing, it will never seem like work.
3. Be focused! Ask yourself: What should I be thinking about right now? Shut out interference.
4. Keep your momentum! Listen, apply and move forward. Do not procrastinate.
5. See yourself as victorious! That will focus you in the right direction.
6. Be tenacious! Being stubborn can work wonders.
7. Be lucky! The old saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get" is absolutely right on.
8. Believe in yourself! If you don't, no one else will either.
9. Ask yourself: What am I pretending not to see? There may be some great opportunities right around you. Great adversity can turn into great victory.
10. Look at the solution, not the problem. And never give up! Never never never give up. This thought deserves to be said (and remembered and applied) many times. It's that important.

To negotiate well, prepare and know as much as possible

• Know what you're doing. Sounds simple, but I've seen a lot of instances where I couldn't believe how much the other side didn't know. I immediately knew I could have a grand slam and fast, just based on their apparent lack of preparation.
• Remember, it takes a lot of smarts to play dumb. This is a good way to see how much your negotiating partners don't know. It's also a good way to see if they are bulldozing you.
• Keep them a bit off balance. What they don't know won't hurt you, and that may help you down the line. Knowledge is power, so keep as much of it to yourself as possible.
• Trust your instincts. There are a lot of situations that will not be black and white in negotiating, so go with your gut. Combine this with your homework and you'll be ahead of the game.

In the best negotiations, everyone wins

• Don't be confined by expectations. There are no exact rules, and sometimes I've changed course in the middle of negotiations when something new has occurred to me.
• Know when to say no. This has become instinct for me by now, but I think we all know when that buzzer goes off inside. Pay attention to that signal.
• To speed up negotiations, be indifferent. That way you'll find out if the other side if eager to proceed.
• Remember that in the best negotiations, everyone wins. This is the ideal situation to strive for. You will also be laying the groundwork for future business deals with people who know what integrity is.

Failure is not permanent

I don't mean t sound like a faith leader, but there is something profound and yet simple about viewing failure as a lack of wholeness. I will also add, it's EFFECTIVE. Believing that a negative situation is temporary and wrong will give you the impetus to do something about it, to feel righteous and energetic about fixing it. Being unhappy and productive is simply not part of my game plan, and it shouldn't be part of yours, either.

Beauty and elegance are my signature and my brand

Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building, or a work of art, is not just superficial or something pretty to see. Beauty and elegance are products of personal style that come from deep within.

My style is based on trying to make whatever I do breathtakingly beautiful. People react emotionally to my style; they want more of it. It's no accident that I'm so involved with beauty; it's my signature, my brand, and I think it's best to have it in spades.

Contact with beauty exposes successful people to an excellence from which they can learn, grow, and improve their lives. Beauty rewards people for all their hard work

Think on "Trump scale" and make a BIG statement

Although I'm the largest developer in Manhattan, I decided to go across the Hudson River to Jersey City because I saw incredible potential there. I am good at predicting trends, and I think Jersey City has a big future... or I wouldn't be there. Don't limit yourself. Think in what I call Trump Scale and make a BIG statement. Don't build a single- family house without first seeing how much more it would take to make it into a multiunit building or even a development. Explore how to make everything you tackle bigger, better, bolder, and more exciting. Although you may not be in a position to realize your dreams now, you could be laying the groundwork for terrific future projects.

Change isn't an admission that you were wrong

• Any new action can bring strength. Adaptation is an old theory but it's a solid one.
• Understand that life is unpredictable and that things will change. Realize that your methods and goals must change for you to keep pace and succeed.
• Keep abreast of what's happening around the globe. See how you can integrate recent development into your world. They can open the door to new interests and excitement.
• Be willing to move out of your comfort zone and try new things. Take some chances, be daring, and embrace the new.
• Always be open; listen attentively and be willing to change. Change isn't an admission that you were wrong or a sign of defeat; it's frequently a smart thing to do.

Look at people non-judgmentally, without right or wrong

Never presume that your way is the only way, whether you're talking about work, ethics, or politics. Be tolerant of diverse opinions, practices, and views. Be grateful for the diversity in our lives and for the benefits of being exposed to so many different backgrounds and beliefs. Take the time to try to understand other viewpoints--how and why those people feel and act as they do. Gather information, get the whole story, and don't jump to conclusions or judge. Results are what matter; the rest is style.

Give others a fair chance, but eliminate scoundrels

Passion overcomes many difficult impossibilities

DJT: Passion is the number one ingredient. It can overcome many difficulties and so- called impossibilities. Getting anything started requires passion. Your enthusiasm can convince others to go along and see things your way. Resistance can be good if it gets you to improve your idea. When someone can discourage you, you probably aren't determined enough. Be resolute. That's what it takes to get things done.

Many people are afraid to fail, so they don't try

Tell people you’re successful or they won’t know it

A lot has happened to us all since 1987. That’s the year The Art of the Deal became the bestselling business book of the decade. Business Rule #1: If you don’t tell people about your success, they probably won’t know about it.

Business Rule #2: Keep it short, fast, and direct. The following pages will be straightforward and succinct, but don’t let the brevity of these passages prevent you from savoring the profundity of the advice you are about to receive.

The Mother of All Advice: “Trust in God and be true to yourself.” -Mary Trump, My Mother. When I look back, that was great advice, concise and wise at once. I didn’t really get it at first, later I realized how comprehensive this is- how to keep your bases covered while thinking about the big picture.

Good management requires hiring good people

Good people equals good management and good management equals good people. They have to work together or they won’t work together for very long. I’ve seen excellent people get stuck in the mires of bad management. The good managers will eventually leave, followed by the good workers, & you will be left with a team that gets along because they’re all mediocre. Save yourself time by getting the best people you can. Sometimes this can mean choosing attitude over experience and credentials. Use your creativity to come up with a good mix.

Creative people rarely need to be motivated-they have their own inner drive that refuses to be bored. They refuse to be complacent. They live on the edge, which is precisely what is needed to be successful and remain successful.

Lessons: stay focused on big picture

In the 1980s, I was riding high. I’d become a major player in Manhattan, with many top-tier properties. I had a yacht, a plane, a bestselling book. In the late eighties, I lost focus. I’d fly off to Europe to attend fashion shows, and I wasn’t looking at the clothing. My lack of attention was killing my business.

That was a low point. Of the $9.2 billion I owed, I’d personally guaranteed a billion dollars. I was a schmuck, but I was a lucky schmuck, and I wound up dealing with some understanding bankers who worked out a fair deal. After being the king of the eighties, I survived the early nineties, and by the mid-to-late nineties, I was thriving again. But I learned my lesson. I work as hard today as I did when I was a young developer in the 1970s. Don’t make the mistake I did. Stay focused.

Surround yourself with people you can trust

My phones are so busy that I require two executive assistants, and they never stop. They alone handle, on the average, more than 1,250 calls a week. They are not only efficient and fast, but also very pleasant and beautiful young women. You don’t have to be beautiful to work for me-just be good at your job. I’ve been accused of admiring beautiful women. I plead guilty. But when it comes to the workplace, anyone who is beautiful had better have brains, too. You need competent people with an inherent work ethic. I’m not a complacent person and I can’t have a complacent staff. I move forward quickly and so must they.

Negotiating deals is about persuasion, not power

Power is merely the ability to convince people to accept your ideas. Just because I am a successful businessman doesn't mean I always get my way. It's true that I don't have to be as vociferous about things as before. But I have to coax and make my case just like any other negotiator.

Power is not just about calling the shots. It's about ability. You can call all the shots, but if they're bad ones, no one will take much notice after a while. Know what you're doing. That's where the real power comes from.

Convincing others has a lot to do with understanding negotiation. Study the art of persuasion. Practice it. Develop an understanding of its profound value across all aspects of life.

Make it easy on the people you are trying to convince. If you are too far over their heads, they'll feel frustrated or, worse, inferior. Let them know you're all on the same level in some way.

In business & politics, stands for getting things done

Appealing to middle Americans leery of political elite

Learned about myself, from adversity in hard times

My wish is that this book will provide inspiration. I learned a lot about myself during these hard times; I learned about handling pressure. I was able to home in, buckle down, get back to the basics, and make things work. I worked much harder, I focused, and I got myself out of a box. Don't get me wrong--there were moments of doubt, but I never thought in negative terms. I believe in positive thought and positive thinking. I learned a lot about loyalty--who was and who wasn't. There were people that I would have guaranteed would have stuck by me who didn't, and, on the other hand, people who I made who, when it came time to help me, didn't lift a finger.

Feeling cocky & invincible can be destructive

I began to socialize more, probably too much. Frankly, I was bored. I really felt I could do no wrong. Sort of like a baseball player who keeps hitting home runs or a golfer who keeps winning tournaments--you just get a feeling of invincibility. Ultimately, this invincible feeling, while positive at times, can be destructive. You let down your guard. You don't work as hard. Then things start to go in the wrong direction. And that's what happened to me--and I never thought it could. In 1990, the market was so horrendous that prices, for even the best buildings in town, were plummeting. Apartments were being bought at prices you never thought possible. It was a complete disaster.

For bad investment advice, you get blame; if good, no credit

Measure success in happiness, not just in dollars

I decided that rather than going the safe route, the route that everybody else was taking, I would head in the exact opposite direction.

Trump Tower glitz: Italian marble 80-foot waterfall

You can't con people for long; you have to deliver the goods

I think of Jimmy Carter. As poorly qualified as he was for the job, Jimmy Carter had the nerve to ask for something extraordinary. That ability above all helped him get elected president. But then, of course, the American people caught on that Carter couldn't do the job, and he lost in a landslide when he ran for reelection.

I see the same thing in my business, which is full of people who talk a good game but don't deliver. When Trump Tower became successful, a lot of developers got the idea of imitating our atrium. But they saw that it all added up to many millions, and these people with great ambitions would decide [against it].

The dollar always talks in the end. I promoted the hell out of Trump Tower, but I also had a great product to promote.

Rules for surviving the perils of success

It’s great to have good natural instincts, but even if you do, you may find that’s not enough. Over the years I’ve come up with certain rules for myself that are important for surviving the perils of success.
1. Be disciplined. This is the first and most important rule. Long vacations, drinking, drugs-all of those things are bad for discipline because they interrupt your momentum.
2. Be honest. Despite a brash and occasionally arrogant approach, I go by the book.
3. Don’t think you’re so smart that you can go it alone. I surround myself with good people, and then I give myself the luxury of trusting them.
4. Be reachable. Although you run the risk of wasting a lot of time, the vast majority of people [writing] are nice people, and they deserve a response.
5. Stay close to home. What got you to the top is usually what will keep you there.
6. Be flexible. I keep white space on my calendar to allow myself to come up with ideas.

Call off Georgia runoff election; it's a scam

Raised $150M for election challenges; most goes to his PAC

2016: Sought to nullify election after losing Iowa primary

"One of the losers in Iowa, the developer and television personality Donald J. Trump, soon accused Mr. Cruz of electoral theft. He fired off several inflammatory tweets, including this foreshadowing of our current democracy-testing moment [where Trump calls to nullify state results where Biden won]: 'Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified'."

"The episode vanished in the tsunami of political vitriol to come during the Trump presidency. Still, it reflects what those who have worked with Mr. Trump say is his modus operandi when trying to slip the humiliating epithet he has so readily applied to others: Loser."

Retweet opinions: I put it out there; people can decide

TRUMP: I know nothing about it. That was a retweet. That was an opinion of somebody. I'll put it out there. People can decide for themselves. I don't take a position. I do a lot of retweets. The media is so fake, and so corrupt, if I didn't have social media. I don't call it Twitter, I call it social media. I wouldn't be able to get the word out.

I'm president of everybody but there are Democrat-run cities

TRUMP: They are.

Q: They're American states.

TRUMP: No. The Democrat-run states are the ones that are doing badly. If you look at New York, if you look at Illinois, if you look at a lot of different places, they're doing poorly. And cities in particular are being run so poorly.

Q: Don't you have a responsibility to those states and cities as well?

TRUMP: .largely because of the debt, but largely because of the crime. They don't want to do anything about crime. They have sanctuary cities where they're protecting criminals. They have things that the Republicans don't have. I'm the president of everybody, but I don't want to say it, but they're Democrat-run cities. It is what it is.

GAO Report: Withholding allocated Ukraine funds violated law

Pushed false theory that Ukraine framed Russia over meddling

This claim is false, according to the unanimous assessment of the U.S. intelligence community and the former special counsel Robert Mueller, who spent two years investigating Russia's election interference effort. The Russian government, not Ukraine, interfered in the 2016 election "in sweeping and systematic fashion," the Mueller report concluded, working to boost Trump's bid while damaging his Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Trump repeatedly pushed or referenced a conspiracy theory that Ukraine and the Democrats framed Russia for election meddling in an attempt to discredit his presidency.

OpEd: Trump's attack on Ukraine politically driven falsehood

Trump's former Russia expert, Fiona Hill, called the idea that Ukraine meddled in 2016 a "fictional narrative" promoted by Russian intelligence and rebuked House Republicans for using it to defend the president against impeachment. "In the course of this investigation, I would ask that you please not promote politically driven falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests," Hill said in her opening statement to Congress. "I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a U.S. adversary, and that Ukraine--not Russia --attacked us in 2016."

More due process was afforded at Salem Witch Trials

But legal experts say this criticism is based on a misinterpretation of what the Constitution says about impeachment and how much protection it gives the president. The answer: Not much. The Fifth Amendment says no one can be deprived of "life, liberty or property" without due process of law. A president facing an impeachment trial is not at risk of losing life, liberty or property.

Repeatedly blocked impeachment witnesses from testifying

Paid hush money to porn star, lied about Moscow deal

Cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment

This is nothing more than an illegal, partisan attempted coup that will, based on recent sentiment, badly fail at the voting booth. You are not just after me, as President, you are after the entire Republican Party. But because of this colossal injustice, our party is more united than it has ever been before. History will judge you harshly as you proceed with this impeachment charade. Your legacy will be that of turning the House of Representatives from a revered legislative body into a Star Chamber of partisan persecution.

Obstruction of Congress charge is preposterous & dangerous

Your spiteful actions display unfettered contempt for America's founding and your egregious conduct threatens to destroy that which our Founders pledged their very lives to build. Even worse than offending the Founding Fathers, you are offending Americans of faith by continually saying "I pray for the President," when you know this statement is not true, unless it is meant in a negative sense. It is a terrible thing you are doing, but you will have to live with it, not I!

OpEd: "Perfect" call a smoking gun rather than exoneration

Here are 4 facts from that July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky:
• Trump tells Zelensky that the US does a lot for Ukraine
• Trump reminds Zelensky that Ukraine doesn't reciprocate
• Trump asks Zelensky for a favor: to look into a debunked conspiracy theory that the hacked Democratic National Committee server is in Ukraine and
• Trump asks Zelensky to look into Joe and Hunter Biden.

Analysis: Federal criminal law turns on corrupt intent

Unlike Clinton, Trump lacks foreign support at time of need

Thomas Pickering, a former diplomat, said while Clinton was able to turn his close personal relationships with foreign leaders into a reservoir of political support in difficult times, "Trump's willingness to trample" on allied leaders has resulted in what he described as the "Macron effect"--a gradual defection of an erstwhile political friend at a time of need. Macron has openly criticized Trump for diminishing trust in NATO's deterrent by reducing the alliance to a commercial proposition.

A stacked deck of gross immorality, ethical incompetence

LameStream Media are the Enemy of the People

The Fake News Media nowadays not only doesn't check for the accuracy of the facts, they knowingly make up the facts. They even make up sources in order to protect their partners, the Democrats. It is so wrong, but they don't even care anymore. They have gone totally CRAZY!!!!"

OpEd: Trump met three criteria for obstruction of justice

[The three criteria are]: First, such cases need to prove that there was an "obstructive act," that the suspect had taken an action that could impede a criminal investigation. Second, the motivation of the person had "corrupt intent." The third essential element of any obstruction charge is that there needs to be a "nexus of a proceeding," meaning that a person must demonstrably have understood that whomever he was aiming to protect was under criminal investigation.

If Congress tries to impeach, I'll go to the Supreme Court

"I DID NOTHING WRONG," Trump said. "If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1993 that authority for impeachment trials resides in Congress and "nowhere else." The power of impeachment belongs to Congress and proceedings must be launched in the House, according to the U.S. Constitution. If representatives vote to impeach, the case is tried in the Senate.

OpEd: Trump is a symbol of renewed white identity

[pp. 15-17 of the manifesto, "The Great Replacement"]:

Q: What are your views?

A: I am on Ethno-nationalist Eco-fascist.

Q: Who do you support?

A: Those that wish a future for white children, and to ensure the existence of our people.

Q: Are you an islamophobe?

A: No, I am not afraid of islam, only that, due to its high fertility rates, it will grow to replace other peoples and faiths.

Q: Are you an anti-semite?

A: No, A jew living in israel is no enemy of mine.

Q: Are you a supporter of Donald Trump?

A: As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure. As a policy maker and leader? Dear god no.

OpEd: Incited violence at rallies starting in 2015

I asked my staff to put together a list of some of Trump's comments and maybe some footage showing examples of his inciting rhetoric. What I saw was appalling. Now I don't pretend to know what was in Donald Trump's heart. All we can do is judge a candidate by his words. What did I see and hear? Well, there was damning video evidence of hateful, rabble-rousing conduct from more than a dozen Trump rallies, going all the way back to an event in Alabama in November 2015. Taken together, I found these incendiary incidents so profoundly disturbing that I felt I had to say something. I issued a statement reading, "Tonight, the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly."

OpEd: Trump's rise analogous to Hitler's in 1930s Germany

First, the German establishment saw Hitler as the "lesser evil." The greater threat was the left, including the Social Democrats and especially the Communists. Trump is also rebranding himself as the "lesser evil," the only alternative to a continuation of the Obama betrayal of the US.

Second, the conservative establishment counted on parliamentary politicians to rein in Hitler. So, too, Republican congressional leaders in the US have convinced themselves that they can make deals with Trump.

Third, the Germans underestimated the anger of the public. And they also underestimated Hitler's charisma, mastery of the media and skill in speaking to the mainly rural "red state" Germans--Hitler gave voice to their humiliation about the collapse of the German nation and promised to eliminate those to blame [analogous to Trump].

Pardons Michael Flynn and Roger Stone in Russia probe

"It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon," Trump tweeted. "Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family!"

Flynn is the 2nd Trump associate convicted in the Russia probe to be granted clemency by the president. Trump commuted the sentence of longtime confidant Roger Stone just days before he was to report to prison. It is part of a broader effort to undo the results of an investigation that for years has shadowed his administration and yielded criminal charges against a half dozen associates.

The action voids the criminal case against Flynn. Democrats lambasted the pardon, calling it undeserved & unprincipled.

The Mueller investigation was an expensive witch hunt

BIDEN: Every single person, when he was going through his impeachment, said I did my job impeccably, not one single solitary thing was out of line. The guy who got in trouble in Ukraine was this guy trying to bribe the Ukrainian government to say something negative about me, which they would not do and did not do because it never ever, ever happened.

TRUMP: I was put through a phony witch hunt for three years. It started before I got elected. They spied on my campaign. Let me just say this, Mueller and 18 angry Democrats and FBI agents all over the place spent $48 million. They went through everything I had, including my tax returns, and they found absolutely no collusion and nothing wrong.

Mueller: Presidents may not be indicted for obstruction

Lieu said, "I'd like to ask you the reason, again, that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of the O.L.C. opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?" he asked, referring to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

"That is correct," Mueller said. That assertion directly contradicted the report itself and Mueller's statement in May describing it, in which he said that he and his team had decided not to decide whether to charge the president because of the O.L.C. opinions.

By afternoon, Mueller walked back the inconsistency, saying that Lieu had incorrectly described his decision. "What I wanted to clarify is the fact that we did not make any determination with regard to culpability in any way," Mueller said.

Foreign-provided opposition info? Read it; maybe call FBI

TRUMP: I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen. There's nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, "We have information on your opponent." Oh, I think I'd want to hear it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You want that kind of interference in our elections?

TRUMP: It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI. If I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, that they come up with oppo research. "Oh, let's call the FBI." The FBI doesn't have enough agents to take care of it, but you go and talk honestly to congressmen, they all do it, they always have. And that's the way it is. It's called oppo research.

No collusion, if you read the Mueller Report as I did

STEPHANOPOULOS: They didn't examine collusion. He laid out evidence of obstruction.

TRUMP: Oh, are you trying to say now that there was collusion even though he said there was no collusion?

STEPHANOPOULOS: He didn't say there's no collusion.

TRUMP: He said no collusion.

STEPHANOPOULOS: He said he didn't look at collusion.

TRUMP: George, the report said no collusion.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you read the report?

TRUMP: Uh, yes I did, and you should read it, too.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I read every word.

TRUMP: Alright, let's go. You should read it, too, George.

Based on Mueller report, we'd indict Trump if not president

• The President's efforts to fire Mueller and to falsify evidence about that effort;

  The President's efforts to limit the scope of Mueller's investigation to exclude his conduct; and

  The President's efforts to prevent witnesses from cooperating with investigators probing him and his campaign.

OpEd: Russia helped Trump so they'd control eastern Ukraine

Supplemental information and analysis:A senior prosecutor in the Special Counsel's Office said that the Aug. 2 meeting goes "very much to the heart of what the Special Counsel's Office is investigating."

Caveats:Although Kilimnik and Manafort shared the view that Trump's support for the Ukraine peace plan would help it succeed, "the investigation did not uncover evidence of Manafort's passing along information about Ukrainian peace plans to the candidate or anyone else." The Report then notes that Manafort lied to the Special Counsel Office about the peace plan & his meetings with Kilimnik. Also, Kilimnik continued "to promote the peace plan into the summer 2018."

Mueller Report: Russia bought pro-Trump social media ads

To reach larger U.S. audiences, the IRA purchased advertisements from Facebook that promoted the IRA groups on the newsfeeds of U.S. audience members. According to Facebook, the IRA purchased over 3,500 advertisements, and the expenditures totaled approximately $100,000.

IRA-purchased advertisements referencing candidate Trump largely supported his campaign. The first known IRA advertisement explicitly endorsing the Trump Campaign was purchased on April 19, 2016, for its Instagram account "Tea Party News" asking US persons to upload photos with the hashtag "#KIDS4TRUMP." In subsequent months, the IRA purchased dozens of advertisements supporting the Trump Campaign, predominantly through the Facebook groups.

Russia made up voter fraud story & Trump campaign re-posted

Posts from the IRA-controlled Twitter account @TEN_GOP were cited or retweeted by multiple Trump Campaign officials, including Donald J. Trump Jr., Eric Trump, & Kellyanne Conway. These posts included allegations of voter fraud, as well as allegations that Secretary Clinton had mishandled classified information.

Campaign supplied Russians, without knowing it was Russia

In sum, the [Mueller] investigation established that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election through the social media campaign carried out by the IRA. IRA employees violated US law through these operations, principally by undermining through deceptive acts the work of federal agencies charged with regulating foreign influence in U.S. elections.

Trump: no connection to Russia; Mueller: yes, hotel business

Although the President publicly stated during and after the election that he had no connection to Russia, the Trump Organization, through Michael Cohen's repeated briefings, was pursuing the proposed Trump Tower Moscow project through June 2016.

In addition, some witnesses said that Trump privately sought information about future WikiLeaks releases [of Russian email hacks]. More broadly, multiple witnesses described the President's preoccupation with press coverage of the Russia investigation and his persistent concern that it raised questions about the legitimacy of his election.

Attempted to fire Special Counsel, but staff refused

That weekend, the President called McGahn and directed him to have the Special Counsel removed because of asserted conflicts of interest. McGahn did not carry out the instruction for fear of being seen as triggering another Saturday Night Massacre and instead prepared to resign. McGahn ultimately did not quit and the President did not follow up with McGahn on his request to remove the Special Counsel.

Mueller appointed to investigate Trump after Comey firing

On May 9, 2017, Trump snapped; the president unceremoniously fired Comey. He conveyed the news in a terse letter, hand-delivered to FBI headquarters.

Trump's closest aides had warned him that the move could trigger a political uproar and lead to an expansion of the Russia inquiry--and it did. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill cried foul. The FBI, already deep into its investigation of election interference, now feared that the most powerful man in the country was trying to obstruct its work.

Robert Mueller was appointed to lead an independent investigation of interference in the 2016 election and other matters that might stem from the inquiry. It was a broad mandate.

Mueller results: 7 guilty pleas and 34 indictments

Mueller's team racked up an extraordinary record. His prosecutors charged thirty-four people, including twenty-six Russian nationals. They secured guilty pleas from seven people, including a former national security adviser and the chairman of Trump's campaign. They reconstructed day-to-day interactions of Trump's closest aides and his adult children, exploring dozens of instances of Russian contacts with the Trump campaign. They documented the Russian attack on American democracy in breathtaking detail, even tracing individual keystrokes of Russian military officers in Moscow.

Campaign manager convicted: conspiracy with Ukraine & Russia

Mueller's 24-page statement of offenses describes all of Paul Manafort's crimes. He agreed that he conspired against the US by illegally laundering through offshore accounts the $60 million he earned in Ukraine from 2006 to 2016. He evaded $15 million in US taxes. He failed to register as a foreign lobbyist while helping his Ukraine clients press their views in Washington.

The conduct outlined by Mueller painted a devastating portrait of Donald Trump's campaign chairman. Manafort had volunteered to work for Trump for free but was drowning in debt at the time. He appeared eager to use his campaign role to angle for money from his wealthy patrons in Ukraine and Russia, working in concert with an alleged Russian intelligence asset. His service for Trump coincided with the ramp-up of Russians intervention in the US election and a ratcheting-up of Trump's pro-Russia campaign rhetoric.

Trump's lawyer convicted of lying to Congress about Russia

The special counsel's office would reveal that Cohen met with its investigators seven times. The motive for his lying to Congress was to "minimize links" between the Moscow project and Trump. [Cohen was imprisoned in May 2019, after the publication of the Mueller Report].

Sued by Democratic Party for 2016 Russia collusion

The named defendants in the lawsuit include Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., his son-in-law Jared Kushner, former campaign chief Paul Manafort and campaign official Richard Gates, and Trump ally Roger Stone. Also named is the Russian Federation, the general staff of the Russian armed force, a Russian intelligence services hacker known as Guccifer 2.0., Wikileaks and its leader Julian Assange, and 10 unidentified people.

"No one is above the law," the suit says. "In the run-up to the 2016 election, Russia mounted a brazen attack on American Democracy. The opening salvo was an attack on the DNC, carried out on American soil."

The suit alleges claims that include conspiracy, computer fraud and abuse, misappropriation of trade secrets, trespass, and other violations of the law.

Mueller convicted three Trump aides of lying about Russia

Trump challenged Russia to hack Hillary's email; Russia did

Within 5 hours of Trump's statement, GRU officers targeted for the first time Clinton's personal office. After candidate Trump's remarks, Unit 26165 created and sent malicious links targeting 15 email accounts. The investigation did not find evidence of earlier GRU attempts to compromise accounts hosted on Clinton's email domain. It is unclear how the GRU was able to identify these email accounts, which were not public.

Unprepared to engage in pandemic transition exercise

Called Democratic response to coronavirus a "new hoax"

Raised money for election challenges, most goes to his PAC

Presidential library to be located in New York or Florida

On the subject of the location of his own presidential library, he uses our interview to distinguish himself from his predecessors--and to take a swipe at them. "That's a very interesting question. I have thought about it very little. I'm more thinking about all of the things that we're doing, which are a lot," he says, jutting his chin out proudly. "New York seems to be the most natural place, but Florida is another one. I know location like nobody," says the former real estate developer. "We'll pick somewhere very appropriate."

OpEd: Spoke to people's disenfranchisement & disempowerment

The difference between his message and mine, though, had to do with the way people responded to those feelings--indeed, with the way they were ENCOURAGED to respond to those feelings. At a Trump rally, many people were driven to anger and blame; there was name calling and finger-pointing. At a Kasich event, people were given hope and all kinds of reasons to lift each other up instead of holding each other down.

OpEd: Make America Great Again by leader being at the helm

"The governor would be in charge of all domestic and foreign policy," Donald Jr. reportedly said.

My campaign strategist responded, "Well, if that's the case, then what would the president be doing?"

"Why, he'll be busy making American great again," came the reply.

Don Jr. later denied the conversation that took place. [But my campaign staff] offered that there was nothing in Don Jr.'s tone to suggest that the comment was being made ironically or with tongue in cheek. "Making America great again," we could only assume, would be Donald Trump's role; he would leave running the country to someone else and keep his focus on the smoke and mirrors aspects of the job of president, helping Americans feel that he was somehow making their lives better just by being at the helm.

Get a special prosecutor for email scandal to jail Hillary

Clinton: It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.

Trump: Because you'd be in jail.

1997: Bill Clinton's vocal backer during Monicagate

One month later, reports surfaced that Clinton had had a secret sexual relationship with an intern named Monica Lewinsky. Trump was unperturbed, becoming one of Clinton's most vocal backers. "The best thing he has going is the fact that the economy's doing great," Trump said in August 1998, days after Clinton finally admitted a relationship with Lewinsky. "They talked about the eighties were good. The nineties are better." When a former Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones, sued Clinton, alleging sexual harassment, Trump called her "a loser." Trump suggested that if her were a candidate, he would face similar controversy: "Can you imagine how controversial that'd be? You think about him with women. How about me with the women?"

Talked about running for president since 1985

Trump again declared his candidacy in 2012. Trump's campaign then had a purpose other than moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. His real goal, we surmised, was a more lucrative contract with the NBC television network for his aging "Celebrity Apprentice" show. As such, journalists gave little regard to his announcement for the 2016 election.

But this time things were different. I'd spent decades as an investigative reporter, reporting on him, and I had kept my files. When Trump announced his bid for the Republican nomination for the 2016 election, I knew it was for real.

Didn't vote in any Republican primary from 1989 until 2016

[The next generation] were even less diligent in their civic duties. When Donald Trump's name appeared on the New York State primary ballot in 2016, his daughter Ivanka and son Eric, both in their thirties, could not cast ballots because they had neglected to register as Republicans. They blamed the government, saying they should have been allowed to change from independent to Republican at the last minute. But the primary voting rules, however outmoded, had been law in the Empire State for many years.

My old liberal political views evolved like Reagan's did

TRUMP: Ronald Reagan himself was a Democrat at one point. And I worked with him, and he liked me a lot, and I liked [him] a lot. And he was a terrific guy, but he was a liberal Democrat, and he changed. And I have evolved very strongly in the same way. I'm a conservative and I have tremendous support, but I also have a lot of support among Democrats. You know, when you look at our polls, I have support from all over the place, and people are actually shocked by it: "Mr. Trump, you're leading in every poll."

Avoiding candidate debates cheats the American public

DONALD TRUMP: It's disgraceful. It's amazing that they can get away with it. I think they're very concerned. I think they're extremely nervous about it. I also think that probably the law will be changed in this case, or the rule may be changed in this case, because it's just inconceivable to me that they can allow this to happen.

JESSE VENTURA: I think it's despicable. Here in Minnesota when I ran, at the point of the primary, I was only polling 10%, which means that if you went by their criteria, I would not have been allowed to debate and subsequently would have not won the election. It shows great fear on their part in the fact that a candidate like me can be at 10% and can turn around in a mere six weeks and win. It's obviously clear to me that they don't want that to happen again. I think it's cheating the American public.

Lost 2000 Reform primary to Pat Buchanan and John Hagelin

GOV. JESSE VENTURA: If Donald decides to become a candidate, it will be at that point in time. But I can't sit out here and say, "Yes, I'm endorsing Donald Trump" when he's not a candidate, because if he makes the choice, which is certainly his choice and the people close to him to make that choice. If he decides to the negative that, no, he doesn't want to get in as a candidate, well, then that makes me look kind of stupid. You know, and I don't like looking stupid.

[OTI explanation: Donald Trump briefly entered the Reform Party presidential primaries in 2000, but lost without winning primaries in any states. Pat Buchanan won 47 states and the Reform Party nomination; John Hagelin won 3 states. Jesse Ventura and Ross Perot were the major founders of the Reform Party; Ventura's faction encouraged Trump to enter the primaries.]

My mother was like a saint, my father was most solid person

OpEd diagnosis: antisocial/dependent personality disorder

Does Donald have other symptoms we are unaware of? A case could be made that he also meets the criteria for antisocial personality disorder, which in its most severe form is also considered sociopathy but can also refer to criminality, arrogance, and disregard for the rights of others. Donald may also meet the criteria for dependent personality disorder, the hallmark of which include an inability to make decisions or take personal responsibility, discomfort with being alone, and going to excess lengths to get support from others.

OpEd: false bravado based in childhood fear of father

Every time you hear Donald talking about how something is the greatest, the best, the biggest, the most tremendous, you have to remember that the man speaking is still, in essential ways, the same little boy who is desperately worried that he, like his older brother, is inadequate and that he, too will be destroyed for his inadequacy. At a very deep level, his bragging, and false bravado are not directed at the audience in front of him but at an audience of one: his long dead father.

OpEd: in Trump family, fear is seen as weakness

Donald's initial response to COVID-19 underscores his need to minimize negativity at all cost. Fear--the equivalent of weakness in our family--is as unacceptable to him now as it was when he was three years old. When Donald is in the most trouble, superlatives are no longer enough; both the situation and the reactions to it must be unique, even if absurd or nonsensical. On his watch, "Nobody could have predicted" a pandemic that his own Department of Health and Human Services was running simulations for just a few months before COVID-19 struck in Washington State. Why does he do this? Fear.

Coronavirus: I shake anybody's hand now; I'm proud of it

TRUMP: I love the people of this country. You can't be a politician and not shake hands. They want to shake your hand. They want to say hello. They want to hug you. They want to kiss you. I don't care. You have to do that. The bottom line is, I shake anybody's hand now. I'm proud of it. They're people that I love. They're people that I want to take care of. You're hearing a lot of stuff about "Try not to shake hands." It hasn't stopped me at all. It is a little bit of a problem, but I got over it.

Focus in school was "creating mischief"

Donald Trump grew up in a 23-room manse in Queens, a faux Southern plantation house with a Cadillac limousine in the driveway. He attended private school from kindergarten on; his focus in school, Trump told The Washington Post in 2016, was "creating mischief, because, for some reason, I liked to stir things up and I liked to test people.. It wasn't malicious so much as it was aggressive."

In second grade, he said, he punched his music teacher in the face. He got into trouble often. Before eighth grade started, his father sent him to military school.

Fixated on personal dignity, uprightness, and respectability

His is a 1950s businessman sort of ideal. Personal dignity--that is, apparent uprightness and respectability--is one of his fixations. Formality and convention--before he became president, almost everybody without high celebrity or a billion dollars called him "Mr. Trump"--are a central part of his identity. Casualness is the enemy of pretense. And his pretense was that the Trump brand stood for power, wealth, arrival.

Favorite movie: Citizen Kane, about risks of accumulation

He fancied himself a man of the people, more interested in the praise of cabdrivers and construction workers then in accolades from the rich and the powerful.

Father arrested in 1927 KKK riot, but didn't support Klan

A thousand Klansmen assembled at the intersection of Jamaica Ave. and 85th Street, and "combatants were knocked down, Klan banners were shredded." Fred Trump wound up in the thick of the melee, and he was arrested.

The charge against Trump was "refusing to disperse from a parade when ordered," but the charge was promptly dismissed. News accounts did not say whether Trump was for or against the Klan, or whether he was at the parade merely to see the spectacle.

Played varsity baseball at military academy

OpEd: "Apprentice" turned Trump from blowhard to candidate

The Apprentice turned Trump from a blowhard Richie Rich who had just gone through his most difficult decade into an unlikely symbol of straight talk, an evangelist for the American gospel of success. Above all, Apprentice sold an image of the host-boss as supremely competent and confident, dispensing his authority and getting immediate results.

The show's creator came to believe that if Trump ever ran fro president, it wouldn't be a result of The Apprentice, but without The Apprentice there could be no candidacy.

At 58, met and married Melania, age 34, at Kit Kat Klub

Born Melanija Knavs in the former Yugoslavia. Feeling stifled under her country's socialist regime, Melania told high school friends that she wanted to escape and travel around the world. Modeling was her path. She worked as a fashion model in Milan, Paris, and New York.

One night in 1998, Melania found herself at the Kit Kat Klub because her modeling agency was hosting a party. Donald, who had recently split up with Marla Maples, was at the event with a date, a beautiful Norwegian heiress. But Trump noticed Melania and asked for her phone number. Melania resisted, aware that Trump had come to the party with another woman. But Trump was persistent and soon they began going out.

OpEd: Lifelong dance of mutual manipulation with the press

Considering his lifelong dance of mutual manipulation with the press, Trump's complaints are more than a little ironic. Few have profited more from the tide of celebrity news that has swamped the public discourse. His analysis is also entirely self-referential. When the writer Timothy O`Brien said Trump wasn't as wealthy as he claimed, Trump sued. He lost, but considering the costs incurred, O`Brien's publisher lost too.

Sent to military academy because of childhood rebelliousness

Q: "So eighth grade on?"

A: "Yes."

Q: "Whose idea was this?"

A: "Well, I was very rebellious and my parents thought it would be a good idea. I was very rebellious."

Q: "How did it evidence itself?"

A: "I was a very rebellious kind of person. I don't like to talk about it, actually. But I was a very rebellious person and very set in my ways."

Q: "In eighth grade?"

A: "I loved to fight. I always loved to fight."

Q: "Physical fights?"

A: "All types of fights. Any kind of fight, I loved it, including physical, and I was always the best athlete. Something that nobody knew about me."

A germophobe: constantly washes hands; dislikes handshakes

Trump: Surviving at the Top was filled with firsthand reports on the bizarre behavior of fame-addled celebrities. Trump devoted a full page to Howard Hughes. Like Donald, Hughes was linked to many beautiful women and operated a gambling business. He was also famously germophobic, a trait that Trump confessed he too possessed. "I'm constantly washing my hands, and it wouldn't bother me if I never had to shake hands with a well- meaning stranger again."

Trump's seemingly frank statements about his contamination anxiety--gave the impression of a man who was willing to reveal himself. But all he copped to were a few missteps and quirks and forgivable sins such as working too hard.

Attended military academy & Wharton Business School

He said he "flirted briefly" with attending film school at the University of Southern California but decided that real estate was his calling. He spent two years at Fordham University in the Bronx before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and graduating in 1968. "Perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials," he wrote in "The Art of the Deal."

The Art of the Hair: it's all natural, and all mine

The answer, for the record, is emphatically and categorically no: I do not wear a rug. My hair is one hundred percent mine. No animals have been harmed in the creation of my hairstyle.

However, I must admit that the day might come when I will wear a hairpiece, wig, or rug--but only if I go bald, which I hope never happens. The reason for this is because, I, like most men, am very vain. Random House is paying me a fortune for this book and specifically requested a chapter on "the art of the hair," so I will admit to my vanity.

The reason my hair looks so neat all the time is because I don't have to deal with the elements very often. I will also admit that I color my hair. Somehow, the color never looks great, but what the hell, I just don't like gray hair. I wonder how much longer my hair will be a national topic of conversation.

Prefers short, formal bows to shaking hands

Separated from Ivana after long less-than-perfect marriage

[The breakup] is by no means a snap judgment. I’ve discussed the situation with many people. I even thought, briefly, about approaching Ivana with the idea of an “open marriage.” But I realized there was something hypocritical and tawdry about such an arrangement that neither of us could live with-especially Ivana. She’s too much of a lady.

It didn’t matter that there was never a lot of yelling in the house-it was time to make the tough decisions and get on with the rest of our lives.

Trump visit to Vatican more about detente than armistice

The idea was to introduce the pathogen of Trumpism into the symbolic and administrative heart of Catholicism, to make Rome the parallel capitol of a new anti-European and anti-Francis continent. That project, undertaken between 2018 and 2019, failed.

Aligned with Catholic leaders critical of Pope Francis

Our country, blessed by God, has a special purpose

In the left's backward view, they do not see America as the most free, just, and exceptional nation on Earth. Instead, they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins. Our opponents say that redemption for YOU can only come from giving power to THEM. This is a tired anthem spoken by every repressive movement throughout history. In America, we don't turn to government to restore our souls -- we put our faith in Almighty God.

Respects evangelical leaders on prayer and on policy

Always felt the need to pray; needs God more as president

I really believe the Lord is speaking to me

In 2012, Trump called White and told her he was thinking of running for president. There was a time for prayer as he pondered the decision. Of course he didn't run then, but he called her again in 2015 and told her, "I really believe the Lord is speaking to me, that maybe I'm supposed to run for president.' I asked him, 'As my friend, what can I do for you? He asked me to bring some pastors in to him, and I did." Time & again, White and various pastors have surrounded Trump and placed their hands on his shoulders as prayers were spoken.

Not sure if he's ever asked God for forgiveness

I am not sure I have. I just try to go and do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I just try to go back and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't.

Now when I take, you know, when I go to church, and drink my little wine, which is about the only wine I drink, and have my little cracker, I guess that is my forgiveness. And I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed, ok? But you know, to me, that is important I do that. In terms of officially-see, I could tell you, "Absolutely"-and everybody-I don't think in terms of that.

God helped me by giving me a certain brain

"I think God helped me by giving me a certain brain, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I went through a phenomenal school, The Wharton School of Finance. I did really well there. I was a great student. So I mean, I was born with a certain intellect that is good for this."

Trump attributed his intellectual and financial success in life to God's gifting. Such attribution is a common religious practice-Thanksgiving.

The Bible is like a great, incredible movie

"I don't like to use this anthology, but like a great movie, a great incredible movie. You'll see it once it will be good. You'll see it again, you'll see it twenty times, and every time you'll appreciate it more. The bible is the most special thing.

My colleagues and I left portions of the interview on the editing room floor. Such is the nature of broadcast news that you only use a small portion of the material you obtain.

Supports religious liberty, and the motto, "In God We Trust"

I go to communion and that's asking forgiveness

Trump: "First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, is where I went to church," he told Christian Broadcasting Network in 2012. "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion." He goes to church "when I can. Always on Christmas. Always on Easter. Always when there's a major occasion. I'm a Sunday church person." In 2015 Trump said in response to Anderson Cooper trying to get clarification on Trump's stand on asking for forgiveness, "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?" asked Trump. "I work hard, I'm an honorable person." In the same interview, he also said, "I go to communion and that's asking forgiveness, you know, it's a form of asking forgiveness." He then stressed that he "likes to work where he doesn't have to ask forgiveness."

Our media culture often mocks and demeans people of faith

There are no more decent, devoted, or selfless people than our Christians brothers and sisters here in the US. I've witnessed that incredible generosity all across this land. I saw it during my trip to Louisiana, where Christian volunteers raced to help their fellow citizens in need. It's that spirit of giving that we will need to rebuild Louisiana and to rebuild this country, which is in serious, serious trouble.

Yet, our media culture often mocks and demeans people of faith. And you understand that. All the time I hear from concerned parents how much harder it is for a Christian family to raise their children in today's media environment.

Cherish and defend our Christian heritage

I recently had a chance to visit a church in Detroit, Great Faith Ministries International. I spoke about how African American churches--and this is all across the country--for centuries have been the conscience of our nation. Their unbreakable faith and sprit overcame some of the most difficult periods in our history, leading us all to a better future. This is the power of faith. It's the power to heal. It's the power to unite. It's the power to make all of us live better lives--all of us.

Our nation today is divided. Nobody likes to say it, but we're living in a very, very divided nation. It will be our faith in God and his teachings, in each other, that will lead us back to unity.

Repeal LBJ law: let preachers talk politics, tax-exempt

All religious leaders should be able to freely express their thoughts and feelings on religious matters. And I will repeal the Johnson amendment if I am elected your president, I promise. So important. When did it happen? 1954 or so. Lyndon Johnson was having problems with churches. And he put in an amendment that basically stopped our great pastors and ministers and others from talking, under the penalty of losing their tax-exempt status.

I have a daughter and son-in-law who are Jewish

We fact-checked and found that Trump's daughter Ivanka, converted to Judaism in 2009 and is raising Donald's grandchildren under Jewish tradition. According to Vogue magazine (Feb. 25, 2015), Ivanka in 2007 met her future husband Jared Kushner, who is an Orthodox Jew and a real estate developer in New York. Ivanka converted to Judaism prior to their marriage in 2009, and they keep a kosher home and, Ivanak says, "we observe the Sabbath; from Friday to Saturday we don't make phone calls. It's an amazing thing when you're so connected-- for [our daughter] Arabella to know that she has me, undivided, one day a week We don't do anything except play with each other, hang out with one another, go on walks together. Pure family.

Who in the world is offended by "Merry Christmas"?

Now? Mary and the baby Jesus are seldom shown. Even the word "Christmas" has somehow become controversial. Who in the world could be offended by someone saying "Merry Christmas"?! That greeting isn't critical of any other religion, and it isn't being disrespectful to those who practice another religion. It's a wonderful tradition.

The same people who demand respect for their beliefs often don't show respect for the beliefs of others. It seems like every week there is a negative ruling on some issue having to do with Christianity. I think it's outrageous.

I love God, and I love having a relationship with Him

I think people are shocked when they find out that I am a Christian, that I am a religious person. They see me with all the surroundings of wealth so they sometimes don't associate that with being religious. That's not accurate. I go to church, I love God, and I love having a relationship with Him.

I've said it before--I think the Bible is the most important book ever written--not even close. I've had a good relationship with the church over the years--God is in my life every day. I don't go to church every Sunday, but I do go as often as I can.

FactCheck: Claims GOP is growing as 30,000+ left

FactCheck by The Hill: More than 30,000 voters who had been registered members of the Republican Party have changed their voter registration in the weeks after pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol. The massive wave of defections is a virtually unprecedented exodus.

Lost lawsuit in Supreme Court on overturning election

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas indicated they would have allowed Texas to bring the case but said they would "not grant other relief." In a series of tweets after the ruling, Trump raged against the decision, which he called "a disgraceful miscarriage of justice."

[The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, called "Texas v. Pennsylvania et al", despite an Amicus brief in favor from 126 members of Congress; see details of SCOTUS case]

I explored doing business in China; no secret bank account

TRUMP: I was a businessman doing business. The bank account you're referring to, which is, everybody knows about it, it's listed, the bank account was in 2013. That's what it was. It was opened. It was closed in 2015. I was thinking about doing a deal in China, like millions of other people, I was thinking about it & I decided I'm not going to do it, didn't like it, I decided not to do it, had an account open & I closed it.

BIDEN: I'd make China play by the international rules, not like he has done. When I met with Xi and when I was still vice-president, he said we're setting up air identification zones in the South China Sea. You can't fly through them. I said we're going to fly through them. We just flew B-52, B-1 bombers through it. We're not going to pay attention. They have to play by the rules.

FactCheck: "We have the best testing in the world"? Not!

OTI FactCheck: Trump refers to the total number of tests--the US is indeed first. The US is not first in testing per capita. For countries over a million population in early 2021:

Country	Tests (millions)	Tests per million population
UAE	29M	2.9/M
Denmark	15M	2.7/M
Bahrain	3M	1.7/M
Cyprus	2M	1.3/M
Israel	12M	1.2/M
UK	83M	1.2/M
Singapore	7M	1.2/M
USA	338M	1.0/M

OpEd: Trump dinners include casual dehumanization of people

Nothing Donald said during the campaign--from his disparagement of Hillary Clinton, arguably the most qualified presidential candidate ever in this country, as a 'nasty woman'; to his mocking of Serge Kovaleski, a disabled New York Times reporter--deviated from my expectation of him. In fact, I was reminded of every family meal I had ever attended during which Donald had talked about all women as ugly, fat slobs or the men, usually more accomplished or powerful, he called losers, while my grandfather and Maryanne, Elizabeth, and Robert all laughed and joined in. That kind of casual dehumanization of people was commonplace at the Trump table. What did surprise me was that he kept getting away with it. Then he received the nomination. The things I thought would disqualify him seemed only to strengthen his base.

I don't have time for political correctness

Then Trump cuts her off, "Only Rosie O'Donnell." The studio audience, mostly Republican honchos, loved it. Kelly quickly corrected him, "No it wasn't. You once said to a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, 'It would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees.' Does that sound to you like a man we should elect as president?" Then Trump launched into a tirade. "I don't have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't either. This country is in big trouble. What I say often times, it's fun, it's kidding. And honestly Megyn, If you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you."

October Surprise: Access Hollywood tape of Trump

Then WikiLeaks posted e-mails from the Hillary campaign-an awfully convenient [response] "October Surprise."

OpEd: 18-month investigation alleges $413M in tax fraud

"The Failing New York Times did something I have never seen done before. They used the concept of 'time value of money' in doing a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me." Trump tweeted.

Trump appeared to target the newspaper's reporting that the president actually received today's equivalent of $413 million from his father's real estate holdings.

A Times spokeswoman defended the article : "This is a powerful piece of investigative journalism, the result of 18 months of inquiry and a review of over 100,000 pages of records. It is accurate and fair and we stand behind it."

Claimed father lent him $1M; actually lent him $60M

Trump's father, Fred, loaned him at least $60.7 million, or $140 million in today's dollars, rather than the $1 million loan Trump previously described on the campaign trail as "small," according to the Times.

Trump's lawyer denied any accusations of fraud and tax evasion, saying "the facts upon which The Times bases its allegations are extremely inaccurate."

While Trump called the story "boring and often told," it went deeper into his family's tax practices and his claims about his wealth than any report previously has.

OpEd: Trump is dangerous because he isn't tethered to truth

COMEY: I chose that words carefully, "dangerous." At first, I thought, "Is that an overstatement?" And I don't think it is.

Q: Why not?

COMEY: I worry that the norms at the center of this country--we can fight as Americans about guns or taxes, and we always have--but what we have in common is a set of norms. Most importantly, the truth. "We hold these truths to be self-evident," right? And if we lose tethering of our leaders to that truth, what are we? The foundation of this country is in jeopardy when we stop measuring our leaders against that central value of the truth.

Q: Are we losing it?

COMEY: I think we are in part. But I think we're going to outlast it. That there will be damage to that norm. But I liken President Trump in the book to a forest fire. Going to do tremendous damage. Going to damage those important norms. But a forest fire gives healthy things a chance to grow that had no chance before that fire.

OpEd: Trump demands loyalty, like a mob boss

COMEY: The title comes from a bizarre conversation I had with the president in January of last year, where he asked for my loyalty personally. My loyalty's supposed to be to the American people and to the institution. He said, "I expect loyalty, I need loyalty." And I did not reply.

Q: Why not say no?

COMEY: Because I was caught totally by surprise. Later, he said, again, "I need loyalty." And I said, "You will always get honesty from me." And he paused and said, "Honest loyalty," as if he was proposing some compromise. And I paused and said, "You'll get that from me."

Q: Was that a mistake?

COMEY: Maybe. I felt like he's kidding himself if he thinks I just promised that I'm "amica nostra." But in hindsight, I should've done it differently.

Q: You're comparing the president to a mob boss?

COMEY: I'm talking about that leadership culture [of mob bosses demanding loyalty] me when I think about my experience with the Trump administration.

Debunked women fictionalized stories about sexual harassment

TRUMP: Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody. Those stories have been largely debunked. She mentions this, which is all fiction, all fictionalized, probably or possibly started by her and her very sleazy campaign. What isn't fictionalized are her e-mails, where she destroyed 33,000 e-mails criminally--criminally!--after getting a subpoena from Congress.

I filed a 104-page disclosure form; I earned $609M last year

TRUMP: I'm under a routine audit. As soon as the audit's finished, it will be released. But you will learn more about Donald Trump by going down to the federal elections, where I filed a 104-page essentially financial statement. It shows income at $694 million for this past year.

Q: The IRS says you're perfectly free to release your taxes during an audit.

TRUMP: Look, I've been under audit almost for 15 years. I'm not even complaining. I don't mind it. It's almost become a way of life. I get audited by the IRS. But other people don't. I will say this: I will release my tax returns--against my lawyer's wishes--when she releases her 33,000 e-mails that have been deleted. As soon as she releases them, I will release.

Q: So it's negotiable?TRUMP: It's not negotiable, no.

Clinton's private email server was on purpose & no "mistake"

CLINTON: You know, I made a mistake using a private e- mail.

TRUMP: That's for sure.

CLINTON: And if I had to do it over again, I would, obviously, do it differently. But I'm not going to make any excuses. It was a mistake, and I take responsibility for that.

TRUMP: That was more than a mistake. That was done purposely. OK? When you have your staff taking the Fifth Amendment, taking the Fifth so they're not prosecuted, when you have the man that set up the illegal server taking the Fifth, I think it's disgraceful. And believe me, this country thinks it's disgraceful, also. As far as my tax returns, you don't learn that much from tax returns. That I can tell you. You learn a lot from financial disclosure.

Charitable donations of $165,000 to Wharton and U.Penn

One sizable gift came in 1994, when he gave enough to be listed as a "founder" of the Penn Club's new location in midtown Manhattan. The minimum gift for that category was $150,000. Two autumns later, Donald Trump Jr. arrived at the leafy campus. In all, three of the four older Trump children--including Ivanka (transferring after two years at Georgetown) and Tiffany--would attend Penn, making the school almost an inheritance, a family emblem.

Sued in 1,900 cases; defendant in 1,450 more cases

Anti-corruption laws ensure that Trump profits from campaign

For the 2016 run as well, a large share of Trump's campaign money has been spent paying himself for the use of his Boeing 747, his smaller jet, his helicopter, his Trump Tower office space, and other services supplied by Trump businesses. By law, Trump must pay charter rates for his aircraft and market prices for services from his other businesses. This anticorruption law was designed to prevent vendors from underpricing services to win political favors--a legacy of a time when no one imagined that a man of Trump's immense wealth would buy campaign services from himself. In 2016, the law ensures that Trump makes a profit from his campaign.

OpEd: Trump dealt with Genovese & Gambino crime families

Burned by press too often to be available any more

Lost lawsuit in Supreme Court on overturning election.

Summary of lawsuit, Dec. 7:: The 2020 election suffered from significant and unconstitutional irregularities including:

• Michigan's Secretary of State, without legislative approval, unilaterally abrogated [under the pandemic emergency] several statutes requiring signature verification for absentee ballot applications. [Similar in GA, PA, & WI].
• Pennsylvania's election law requires that poll-watchers be granted access to the opening, counting, and recording of absentee ballots: Local election officials [in 2 counties] decided not to follow this law.
• Georgia state law prohibits the opening of absentee ballots until after the polls open on Election Day: In April 2020, without legislative approval, [a new rule] authorized processing absentee ballots three weeks before Election Day.
• The Wisconsin Elections Commission positioned hundreds of drop boxes to collect absentee ballots--including the use of unmanned drop boxes, in contravention of Wisconsin law.

Supreme Court Order, Dec. 11: The State of Texas's motion is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot.

Texas Tribune analysis, Dec. 11:: Trump--and Republicans across the country--had pinned their hopes on the Texas suit. In a series of tweets, Trump called it "the big one" and later added, "it is very strong, ALL CRITERIA MET." If the court had heard the case, Sen. Ted Cruz said he would have argued it, at the request of Trump.

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas indicated they would have allowed Texas to bring the case but said they would "not grant other relief." In a series of tweets after the ruling, Trump raged against the decision, which he called "a disgraceful miscarriage of justice."