34 MICHAEL WOLFF : SIEGE 35 upon hearing, that he was not a target and would shortly be exonerated. be his ultimate revenge on Trump, saving him yet again. Bannon certainly But the lawyers went even further with their feel-good strategy. believed that he was the only one who could pull off this difficult rescue, a Presidents, faced with hostile investigations by the other coequal reflection of his conviction that he was the most gifted political strategist branches of government, Congress and the judiciary, invariably cite exec- t of his time, and of his view that Trump was surrounded by only greater utive privilege both as a legitimate principle and as a dilatory tactic. It’s a and lesser lummoxes. built-in bargaining chip. But Trump’s lawyers, hoisted by how often they i Trump, Bannon believed, needed a wartime consigliere. And if, he had to assure the president that he had nothing to fear, supported their mused, Jared and Ivanka were finally sent packing . . . But no, he insisted, confident assessment, to Trump’s delight, by dispensing with any claim . not even then. of executive privilege and willingly satisfying all the special counsel's Moreover, Trump would not be able to tolerate it. Bannon under- requests. Trump, in all his dodginess, had become an open book. What's : stood that only Trump could save the day, or at least that Trump believed more, Trump himself, ever believing in the force and charm of his own only he could save the day. No other scenario was possible. He would personality, was, with his attorneys’ apparent assent, eager to testify. rather lose, would rather even go to jail, than have to share victory with And yet, Bannon knew, it was still much worse. The president's law- someone else. He was psychologically incapable of not being the focus of yers had sent more than 1.1 million documents to the special counsel, all attention. aided by only a scant document production team. It was just Dowd, In the end, it was easier and more productive to