Summary of Peter L. Bergen's Trump and His Generals

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 On July 20, 2017, Trump went to the Pentagon to receive a briefing on America’s military commitments around the world. Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, wanted to demonstrate how overextended and overcommitted the United States was overseas. Mattis, the secretary of defense, and Tillerson, the secretary of state, wanted to promote America’s alliances. #2 Bannon was obsessed with China and the threat they posed to the US, as well as other threats such as Iran. He wanted to build up the Quad, an alliance between the Pacific powers of Australia, India, Japan, and the US. #3 Bannon, who was raised as a devout Catholic, believed that Judeo-Christian civilization was being attacked. He recommended that Trump be briefed on America’s global commitments, from the Pacific to NATO, and its commercial relationships, capital markets, trade deals, and weapons. #4 On July 19, Mattis went to see Tillerson in his seventh-floor conference room at the State Department to prep him for the meeting the next day. Neither Mattis nor Tillerson was a Trump guy, and they had formed a close alliance.