As defeat unfolded, Trump's advisors told him he'd won

Trump's current behavior, refusing to accept defeat and insisting that the election was fraudulent, was inevitable: he's made the same claim about every poll that ever failed to go his way. But it certainly didn't help that on and after election night, his closest advisors simply lied to him about what was happening.

Donald Trump on election night was like "Mad King George, muttering, 'I won. I won. I won,' " according to one close adviser, who spoke to The Washington Post for a remarkable recap of the 20 days since the election. Those around the president after 3 November were "happy to scratch his itch," the close adviser said.  

"If he thinks he won, it's like, 'Shh, we won't tell him.'"