The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy. Greg Miller

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      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

      Prologue

       Part One

      1. The Hack

      2. Putin’s Trolls

      3. Moths to the Flame

Part Two

4. “I Believe You Have Some Information for Us”

       5. The Missing Emails

       6. Crossfire Hurricane

       7. Deep Inside the Kremlin

       Part Three

       8. Dezinformatsiya

       9. The Russian Ambassador

       10. Briefing the President

       Part Four

       11. You’re Fired

       12. The Special Counsel Strikes

       Part Five

      13. “I Can’t Put on the Charm”

      14. Helsinki

      Epilogue

       Plate Section

       Notes

       Index

       Acknowledgments

       About the Author

       Also by Greg Miller

       About the Publisher

       PROLOGUE

      THE WARREN OF CUBICLES WAS SECURED BEHIND A METAL door. The name on the hallway placard had changed often over the years, most recently designating the space as part of the Mission Center for Europe and Eurasia. But internally, the office was known by its unofficial title: “Russia House.”

      The unit had for decades been the center of gravity at the CIA, an agency within the agency, locked in battle with the KGB for the duration of the Cold War. The department’s prestige had waned after the September 11 attacks, and it was forced at one point to surrender space to counterterrorism operatives. But Russia House later reclaimed that real estate and began rebuilding, vaulting back to relevance as Moscow reasserted itself. Here, among a maze of desks, dozens of reports officers fielded encrypted cables from abroad, and “targeters” meticulously scoured data on Russian officials, agencies, businesses, and communications networks the CIA might exploit for intelligence.

      Deeper inside was a conference room adorned with Stalin-era posters of heroically depicted Soviets, muscled soldiers and workers striding across fields or factories under the hammer and sickle. The room, swept routinely for listening devices, was the scene of increasingly tense meetings in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, as senior agency officials sought to make sense of a series of disconcerting reports. In late July, the agency had gained access to an extraordinary stream of information showing that Russian president Vladimir Putin was himself directing the “active measures” operation aimed at disrupting the U.S. presidential race. U.S. intelligence partners were also warning Russia House about worrisome contacts between Russian figures and campaign associates of the Republican nominee.

      Donald Trump’s vigorous displays of admiration for the Russian leader only made things more bewildering. He routinely praised Putin and even seemed to enlist Moscow in an effort to hack his opponent’s email account. The question СКАЧАТЬ