CHAPTER

11

Trump needed a new national security adviser, and he wanted to act fast. He said he was getting killed in the media and was convinced a new person would erase the Flynn debacle.

Another general, perhaps? Bannon believed the media was Trump’s main concern. Everything was through the eyes of, “Does he look the part?” Everything was movies. Dunford and Mattis struck him as Marines because they were men of few words. They got to the point.

High on the list was Army Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster—5-foot-9, bald, green-eyed, barrel-chested, ramrod-straight posture—who was the rare combination of war hero and scholar. He had written Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam. It was a groundbreaking work that indicted military leaders for failing to confront their civilian leaders. McMaster was considered a renegade and an outsider in the Army club, but no one doubted his bona fides.

General McMaster was going to get two hours with Trump. Bannon met with him at Mar-a-Lago and offered his usual advice: Don’t lecture Trump. He doesn’t like professors. He doesn’t like intellectuals. Trump was a guy who “never went to class. Never got the syllabus. Never took a note. Never went to a lecture. The night before the final, he comes in at midnight from the fraternity house, puts on a pot of coffee, takes your notes, memorizes as much as he can, walks in at 8 in the morning and gets a C. And that’s good enough. He’s going to be a billionaire.”

Final advice: “Show up in your uniform.”

McMaster wore a suit.

“Told you to show up in your uniform,” Bannon said.

“I called around,” McMaster replied, “and they said it wouldn’t be appropriate because I’ve got my retirement papers in.” If he was selected, he would retire and serve as national security adviser as a civilian.

“I got you up here because you’re an active duty general,” Bannon reminded him.

The meeting with Trump did not go well. McMaster talked too much and the interview was short.

Bannon, who sat in on it, later reported, “McMaster ran his fucking mouth for all of 20 minutes giving his theories of the world. A fucking Petraeus book guy.” In 2007, McMaster had been part of a “Baghdad brains trust” advising General David Petraeus on the Iraq War.

After McMaster left, Trump asked, “Who was that guy? He wrote a book didn’t he? It said bad things about people. I thought you told me he was in the Army.”

“He is in the Army.”

“He’s dressed like a beer salesman,” the president said.

Bannon, noted for his terrible wardrobe, agreed. He thought McMaster’s suit looked like it cost only $200, or maybe only $100.

Next to be interviewed was John Bolton, a far-right former U.N. ambassador. He was a summa cum laude graduate from Yale who supported the Iraq War and promoted regime change in Iran and North Korea. He was a regular on Fox News—he reported an income of $567,000 in 2017, just from Fox. His answers were fine, but Trump did not like his big, bushy mustache. He didn’t look the part.

Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, the superintendent of West Point, was next up.

Before he entered, Trump turned to General Kellogg, the NSC chief of staff, who was sitting in on the interviews.

“General, what do you think of this guy?”

“Bobby Caslen’s the best gunfighter in the Army,” Kellogg said.

Caslen, who had big ears and wore medals on his uniform up to the top of his shoulder, gave short answers, mostly “Yes, sir” or “No, sir.” He was like Clint Eastwood. Trump started pitching him, telling him stories from the campaign.

Bannon thought Trump was selling this guy. He thought Caslen was in.

That night Kushner said that all the media loved McMaster—combat veteran, thinker, author.

“But Trump’s got no chemistry with this guy,” Bannon reminded him. The chemistry had been there with Caslen, but he was a field general with no Washington experience except a short tour on the Joint Staff in a junior position. “We’ll get lit up,” Bannon noted.

They agreed that McMaster and Bolton should have another round the next day, and to invite Caslen to the White House later for a one-on-one lunch.

The next day Bolton came in. He was fine, the same, but still had the mustache.

McMaster arrived in his uniform. He looked better—high and tight. There was better chemistry, though not great.

Bannon and Kushner told Bolton and McMaster to wait; there would be a decision in the next couple of days. McMaster hung around Mar-a-Lago.

“You know, we’re getting killed with bad stories on the Flynn thing,” Trump said. “Let’s just make a decision.”

“I don’t think we can just make a decision,” Bannon said. “Caslen and McMaster are two serving Army officers. I don’t think they’ve run the traps on this.” They had to inform their Army superiors. The Army chief of staff, General Mark Milley, said that Caslen would be the best possible pick. “They’ve got jobs. So there’s a process.”

“No, no, no,” Trump said. “We’re getting killed. Bad stories.”

“The media loves McMaster,” Jared said.

“Because he’s a fucking liberal,” Bannon said. “No offense, he has not been that impressive in this thing. You guys don’t have great chemistry.”

“Yeah, but you know,” the president said. “Get him over here.”

Bannon retrieved McMaster. “The president wants to talk to you. Come on over.”

What do you think is going to happen? McMaster asked.

“I think the president may offer you the job.”

“I’ve got to tell some people. I can’t tell the president that I can take it. I’ve got to tell the Army.”

“Just play it by ear,” Bannon said. “We’ll figure it out.” That was the Trump way. Playing by ear, acting on impulse. Pure Trump.

“Do you want this job?” the president asked McMaster.

“Yes, sir.”

“You got it,” Trump said and shook McMaster’s hand. “Get the media. Get the cameras in here.” He wanted a picture with his latest general who looked out of Central Casting.

McMaster sat awkwardly on a gold brocade sofa beside the president. A large gold vase holding roses was on the table behind them.

“I just wanted to announce, we’ve been working all weekend very diligently, that General H. R. McMaster will become the national security adviser,” Trump told reporters. “He’s a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.”

“I’m grateful to you for that opportunity,” McMaster said. “I look forward to joining the national security team and doing everything that I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people.”

McMaster’s shell shock was plain on camera as he shook Trump’s hand.

“I’ve got to call the Army chief of staff,” McMaster said to Bannon.

“Do it,” Bannon said. “But you’ve already taken the job.”

Trump’s choice played well. The media saw McMaster was an adult. There would be no more crazies. The president basked in the positive stories.