Summary

In the midst of the Charlottesville protest controversy, Bannon called Kelly, who was now Chief of Staff, and told Kelly he was about to resign. Bannon was worried about Trump's appearance at an upcoming NSC meeting on Afghanistan. At this meeting in August of 2017, CIA Director Mike Pompeo was supposed to explain the potential for expanding the CIA's paramilitary role, while McMaster made the case for a slight troop increase. Trump lost his temper at the generals and said he wanted to get out, while Mattis, who did not confront Trump directly, made the case that leaving could mean the collapse of the country. In the end, Trump said he would stay in Afghanistan. When Bannon called Pompeo to complain about the outcome, Pompeo said he had done what he could. When Bannon called Trump, the president said he thought he could win...