Summary

Chapter 8 details the internal organization, or lack thereof, of the Trump White House. It is largely told from the perspective of Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh, one of the few competent political professionals present. Like the Trump Organization, the Trump White House was extremely disorganized. The President preferred to have multiple people fighting over influence and control, rather than a single chain of command. In this case, the three power centers were Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, and Jared Kushner. Priebus represented the traditional Republican Party and had the backing of Congressional Republicans as his most effective asset. Bannon, as noted, was hypernationalist and was personally persuasive to Trump. Kushner relied on his family connection and represented a centrist, business-friendly agenda. The best way to reach Trump was through in-person conversation and persuasion, which the three men engaged in regularly. They also sought...