New book claims Trump ordered an official to break the law — and that he promised to pardon him afterwards

Among the many presidential meltdowns included in Miles Taylor's new book "Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump," is an incident in which Donald Trump told a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol leader to break the law.

The story begins when the Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen was ordered to the U.S.-Mexico border by a shouting Trump, while she was in Europe working on international cyber security.

According to Taylor, after failing to secure funding for his border wall from Congress, Trump threatened to close the U.S. borders. Behind the scenes, he ordered it outright as his staff tried to explain the laws that barred his demands.

After Trump screamed his orders, Taylor recalls sitting on the border waiting for the president to arrive. He called instead, with further demands. Trump was told that all of the "fixes" to the border problem had been prepared in a bill for Congress. His White House just never got behind it. She hammered him for his disorganization and dressed down staffers like Stephen Miller, who has been accused of having his own ideological problems with non-white people.

When Trump arrived at the border on April 5, 2019, the press ignored a planned "round table discussion" and pressed to figure out if the border was going to be closed.

"We are full," Taylor cites Trump telling a border official. "Tell the judges we are completely full — 'the bins are full' — and we can't let anyone else in."

"Oh no," Taylor writes. "He was back on it. The president was pressuring agents to seal the border."

"Just say, 'Sorry, Judge, I can't do it. We don't have the room,'" Trump continued.

"He was telling them to ignore federal judges and deport people anyway, even if they had a right to be in the United States. I strained to hear what the agents were saying to the president," Taylor goes on. "A Customs and Border Protection leader tried explaining to him why that would be unlawful."

"Seriously, keep them all out," Trump countered. "Don't let any more in. If you go to jail for it, I'll pardon you."

"Trump offered a presidential pardon in exchange for an illegal act," Taylor writes. He describes returning to the CBP official to confirm Trump's comments and ensure no agents would follow such an order. The CPB official relayed the tale to Secretary Nielsen in their car. Taylor suggested they document the event "to the department's lawyers with a real-time summary and a question. Did the president just break the law?"

Trump gave the secretary one more dressing down before they parted ways, leading her to text message Taylor saying, "This is far and away the most abusive relationship I've ever had or will ever have."

Taylor recalled drafting his resignation letter that day, and one for Nielsen too.

A report was later leaked about Trump's order to the CPB officials, he denied it, but those at the border that day knew better.

Stories like these dot the pages of Tayor's book, as he imagines what a second Trump administration could be like without safeguards in place to protect the country. As historian Michael Beschloss explained that with the Supreme Court behind him, Trump could be unstoppable.

Raw Story has further coverage of Taylor's latest book "Blowback" here.