New book by Woodward says Trump wanted Syrian leader killed

Brian WhewayToday 03:26 pm JST

I can't believe that Mr Trump is still in power, lets face it he's upset countless amounts of people, not only the general public, world leaders, and other noble high ranking politicians, and military advisors. how long can this madness carry on for? why has he not been impeached? its been proven he has lied on TV and he just blatantly carries on, telling lies, I just can't understand how he's still in power.

A large, important minority of Americans thinks he's just fabulous - well, they know he's pretty loathsome but seem to be willing to overlook that. Most Republican legislators in Congress dare not say anything bad about Trump or act against him because their heavily gerrymandered districts are full of these people.

This book is full of anonymous quotes from disgruntled former employees.

Yeah, pretty telling about this president that he “disgruntles” so many of his employees. Most toxic, dysfunctional presidency and president ever.

I can't believe that Mr Trump is still in power, lets face it he's upset countless amounts of people, not only the general public, world leaders, and other noble high ranking politicians, and military advisors. how long can this madness carry on for? why has he not been impeached? its been proven he has lied on TV and he just blatantly carries on, telling lies, I just can't understand how he's still in power.

The longest book ever to be written will be titled “The LIES and CRIMES of DONALD J TRUMP - A never-ending story”.

The book will only be published in digital form - the huge amount of paper that would be required to actually print, and continually add to, this tome would be devastating to the environment.

The book will be updated on a daily basis, or more frequently if required.

Bob Woodward has been with the Washington Post since 1971. Before that he served in in the US Navy for five years.

This book is full of anonymous quotes from disgruntled former employees.

Another anecdote from the book:

Trump was prepared to sign a document ordering the removal of American troops from South Korea. When he wasn't looking, an aide removed the order, before he could sign it. Trump never noticed that the order had been removed from his desk.

On the matter of Kadaffi, the US was not directly involved in his murder, and the Russians were not involved in protecting him. In Syria, Trump wants US forces, not Syrians, to kill Assad, while he is under the protection of Russians.

Clinton and Obama kille Libiyas president Gaddafi and laughed about it..

No he didn't.

Let's try to keep it in the realm of reality, mmkay?

You didn't deny Clinton laughed about it. Because she did quite gleefully. "We came, we saw, he died. Hahaha!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y

interesting. fact is without smoke there cannot be a fire, anyway we have to wait , 'If trump has paid Daniels $130,000 thru Cohen as another book claims when Trump himself confessed , 'in the shadow of president' by Michael D'Antanio and Peter D Eisner,,,,, anything is possible, as Jeremia and Calvin's ideologies are followed by him and his fellow cabinet members, possibilities cannot be ruled out. Anyway time is the best judge. Seems Pence seems waiting to take over as he trusts, God works through a person would happen on when one decides to consider on individual. Viewed at the height of power..would have seemed to be blessed soon after God's displeasure would have been then all to see' Jeremia quote hangs on Pence's fireplace in his place as reported in a book.. means every one look for opportunity to take...hahaha.

LOL!

Anonymous White House 'senior official' slams Trump in scathing NYT op-ed

https://www.yahoo.com/news/anonymous-senior-official-says-trump-aides-trying-save-country-204434615.html

President Trump is a proven liar. The bigger the lie, the more he denies it.

Pretty much anyone else. even a 7 yr old boy with a baseball bat standing next to a broken window and denying that he broke it, as the ball still moves around just inside the window, has greater credibility than President Trump.

I just don’t know what to say to that one. ROFL!

Do you agree with Burning Bush that a professional writer, journalist and biographer is incapable of writing a book or keeping a diary?

Can you imagine Trump, of all people, accusing someone of "credibility issues??" Trump is the least-believed person in the history of homo sapiens!!

I thought you'd give us more info after 35 years in the business. All I know is that he wrote some amusing books and you don't fully trust him for undisclosed reasons.

Oddly similar to the answer someone might give with zero experience.

Robert Woodward is an Accredited and Respected Professional Journalist.

Dunno, is that supposed to mean something?

Robert Woodward is an Accredited and Respected Professional Journalist.

How about all the Trumpists, Dear Leader acolytes, Devout Rightists, paid Trolls and other bloggers who comment on this, and all the other threads relating to the current Cesspool Landlord, hosted by Japan Today, declare their professional credentials, affiliations with reputable, or other, information dissemination and distribution agencies , or other beneficial patronage they enjoy?

Waddaya ya say boys or girls?

so liberals actually believe James Mattis would say something that isn’t true just to keep his job. Ridiculous

Let’s just look at the idea of lying.

You seem to think lying to keep a job is a ridiculous idea.

Is it less or more ridiculous than lying about the existence of a sex tape to score points in a Twitter cat fight?

Maybe it’s just me, but I think that lying to keep a good job is more understandable.

So, what exactly is it that you respect about Bob Woodward?

He wrote some amusing books.

Woodward works for NYT, a Trump bashing news media — that says it all! Its been over 20 yrs since he coauthored the “Watergate Report” and ever since the 2016 Residentsl election he’s been spreading vicious and degrading tidbits direct at Trump with less than valid proof or collaboration!

Agreed!

James Mattis wants to keep his job, so he denied what he said, i.e. he lied about it.

Ahhh, but can you prove it? You can’t! Please don’t do the typical Oliver Stone guessing game.

Seems rational enough to me. Certainly more rational than conspiracy theories that no-one in the world could possibly have the time or patience do keep a diary or write a book.

I just don’t know what to say to that one. ROFL!

so liberals actually believe James Mattis would say something that isn’t true just to keep his job. 

Yes.

Trump's former lawyer John Dowd conducted a mock interview with Trump to convince him that he would commit perjury if he agreed to talk to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia investigation, the book says.

Trump once said he was ‘100 percent’ willing to talk to Mueller

But during Dowd's mock interview where there were no consequences, Trump still made things up and contradicted himself - that's how Dowd proved Trump can't talk to Mueller

Trump did not speak with Woodward until the manuscript was complete, the newspaper reported.

Here's the transcript of the Aug 14, 2018 phone call between Trump and Woodward

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/04/transcript-phone-call-between-president-trump-journalist-bob-woodward/

In this phone call, it was Trump who called Woodward - and that's how Woodward was finally able to talk to Trump. Woodward recorded the call with Trump's permission. Trump called Woodward "I think you've always been fair"

Woodward tried repeatedly to speak directly with Trump. The interview never happened. But in a taped phone call from early August, Trump blamed White House staff, saying they failed to tell him about the requests, even as the president later admitted that he knew Woodward had asked for an interview.

"Nobody called my office," Trump told Woodward during the call, as the president struggled to explain why the author was never granted an interview. "It's really too bad, because nobody told me about it, and I would've loved to have spoken to you," Trump said

Over the course of nearly 12 minutes, Trump repeatedly claimed that he would have liked to have spoken to Woodward but that the reason he never did was simply that he never knew Woodward was trying to reach him.

Yet during that same call, Trump admitted that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told him that Woodward had been trying to reach him for an interview. He also told Woodward, "you know I'm very open to you. I think you've always been fair"

Given Woodward's stature as one of the country's foremost presidential biographers, it seems unlikely that, for more than two months, no one in the White House mentioned to the president that Woodward wanted to interview him.

The phone call did not provide real answers as to what exactly happened to Woodward's requests. But it did provide a window into the breakdown of key parts of the chain of command in the West Wing in recent months, as illustrated in the book

I don’t know if gens Mattis and Kelly are lying or not. None of us really are in position to know for sure. Though I’d wager they very likely think these things and it will be interesting to hear what they have to say post-Trump residency.

I hope they are “fudging the truth”. I wouldn’t hold their having said what they’re alleged to have said against them.

And I wouldn’t hold their lying about it against them either. They probably are uniquely placed to keep Trump from doing something supremely stupid. So, to lie and stay and (try and) keep man-baby from going off the deep-end...

Black keeps describing Trump but genuinely seems to have no idea he's doing it

I’m pretty sure he doesn’t.

Black, Trump used to think very highly of Woodward - until Woodward wrote something critical of him. This has happened repeatedly, not just during the presidency but throughout his life: Trump will praise you to death until he's done with you or you cross him. In the former case, he'll simply toss you aside; in the latter, he'll come after you - that is, unless he perceives you still present a threat.

Which is an interesting point. Considering the esteemed status of the author and the salacious content of his book, the WH response has been remarkably muted (in particular, no personal insults hurled at Woodward). What might he know that he did not include in the book? After all, the topic was the Trump administration, not Trump himself. There may be much he's saving for after the Mueller report release, and that would explain the kids gloves - the staffers do not want to beckon perjury, nor does Trump.

Black keeps describing Trump but genuinely seems to have no idea he's doing it

so liberals actually believe James Mattis would say something that isn’t true just to keep his job. Ridiculous. What had Bob Woodward ever done in comparison to James Mattis that he gets the benefit of the doubt?

i know what! He said something you want to hear and you don’t care if it’s true cause you like to hear it.

Woodward works for NYT, a Trump bashing news media — that says it all! Its been over 20 yrs since he coauthored the “Watergate Report” and ever since the 2016 Residentsl election he’s been spreading vicious and degrading tidbits direct at Trump with less than valid proof or collaboration!

But you can’t just go around making up things that are not true and presenting them as facts. 

How about retweeting boneheaded trash conspiracy theories from tabloids?

I suppose you could argue your idea at least has the merit of showing creativity.

"I'm curious, how many other Presidents even came close to the same number of former disgruntled employees as President Trump?"

None, because they didn't actually employ anyone. OK, Jimmy Carter had a peanut farm, lol.

former disgruntled employees

No shortage of those, is there?

I'm curious, how many other Presidents even came close to the same number of former disgruntled employees as President Trump? I don't know. That would be an interesting story.

This book will go the way of all the others. CNN will promote it, Libby leftys will buy it and give woodward his expected profit and in a couple of months it'll be forgotten and in the bargain bins with the other trash.

January's 'Fire and Fury" is the bestselling book of 2018 so far, available to purchase from all major book retailers at full price. Woodward's book is currently top of the current best sellers list.

People will continue to enjoy reading about Trump's sheer incompetence and treachery for quite some time yet!

Crazy: "I believe every word he's written."

You would.

monkey: "OK, then, show us an alternative account of Trump's White House, one in which the president is well-informed, thoughtful and balanced in his decision making, steady in temperament, and respectful of those who offer differing points of view."

Will this do?

White House press briefing | August 22nd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvWQc-xPRGE

Won’t you take me to crazy town.

”Dumb southerner” “retarded”... certainly sounds like something Trump would say.

Yeah, look it up leftys.

I’ll get right on that, Cochise.

This book will go the way of all the others. CNN will promote it, Libby leftys will buy it and give woodward his expected profit and in a couple of months it'll be forgotten and in the bargain bins with the other trash.

Um, you just described the publishing cycle of pretty much every book ever written. Have a cookie, you done well.

Or expecting me to believe James Mattis is a liar instead of a guy trying to sell a book. It’s not rational.

James Mattis wants to keep his job, so he denied what he said, i.e. he lied about it. Seems rational enough to me. Certainly more rational than conspiracy theories that no-one in the world could possibly have the time or patience do keep a diary or write a book.

Strangerland, youre simply evading the reality re Woodward.

Nope. The guy is a respected journalist, who already brought down one corrupt president.

I said it above:

Since it really comes down to a he said he said type situation, we have to go on credibility. One side is a proven liar, caught on tape lying, who has everything to lose if what the other side said is true. On the other side you have a guy who is extremely credible, and has everything to lose if what he is saying is false.

Anyone who figures Trump is telling the truth and Woodward is lying are showing they literally lack the ability to discern right from wrong. Either that or they think that scoring points for team red is more important that right or wrong. Neither option speaks well to them.

CoS Kelly: "I never called the president an idiot and never said "We're in Crazytown or "This is the worst job I've ever had." "The story total BS".

SECDEF Mattis: "The contemptuous words attributed to me about Trump were never uttered by me or in my presence."

CoS Kelly: Actually Woodward got his Generals mixed up - I'm the one who said the President had the emotional intelligence of a Fifth Grader.

SECDEF Mattis: "Yes, and I called him an idiot and said this is the worst job I ever had."

This book will go the way of all the others. CNN will promote it, Libby leftys will buy it and give woodward his expected profit and in a couple of months it'll be forgotten and in the bargain bins with the other trash.

Black, Woodward is a journalist. He spoke with many people who were in the administration who had also spoken with many people. It appears Rob Porter was the source of this. Of course Mattis is not going to cop to this quote - he has an important job which is already on thin ice and has a boss with equally thin skin, and he puts the interests of America first. Somebody's gotta be the adult in the room. Again, I think he'll survive simply because Trump can't find anyone else.

Trump's denial about calling Sessions "mentally retarded" and a "dumb Southerner" also may have come from the same source. Now, regardless of the veracity of those two statements, when you staff your office with bad apples, this is what you can expect (wasn't this the president who said he'd choose the best people?). Given the president's vocabulary, such utterances are not unlikely. But also given where Trump's core support lies, his panic in trying to roll the back is understandable.

This book will have repercussions.

Yeah sure, Trump does it, right? So why do liberals complain about it then do the exact same thing?

I’m shocked just how little Trump supporters expect from a president in the way of honesty．　

Trump is a pathological liar but so is a ‘liberal’ journalist?

Not a very persuasive comparison, is it?

Incidentally, Trump likes nutcase ideas from journalists but only if they benefit him.

Strangerland, youre simply evading the reality re Woodward. Do a little research. "The idea that he would be making things up and presenting them as facts is insulting". I hope you have a thick skin!

Bass: I respect the man, but I’ve always been skeptical about things that he writes about all the presidents so far.

From what I’ve heard he’s very respected in journalism.

blacklabel: But you can’t just go around making up things that are not true and presenting them as facts. 

Can you remind us of your position regarding Trump retweeting inaccurate videos about Muslims? Something about it being OK to inaccurately describe something if the overall point is correct...?

Given what we know about the chaos in the White House and how many senior staff have left or been booted out, I have no doubt Woodward's account is accurate. We know what Rex Tillerson said about Trump and he denied it at the time.

So of course, Mattis would deny making those comments. He has to. Anyone who wants to keep their job would deny it. That's natural.

If Trump really believes the book is libelous, then he should sue Woodward. See how far that gets.

you can’t just go around making up things that are not true and presenting them as facts. Yeah sure, Trump does it, right? So why do liberals complain about it then do the exact same thing?

Unlike Trump, Woodward is a respected journalist. The idea that he would be making things up and presenting them as facts is insulting. There is video proof of Trump lying - saying things like he knows nothing of payments to porn stars he had made payments to for example. Woodward on the other hand has a history of bringing down presidents (well ok, singular), through fact and evidence - and anonymous sources that were proven to be correct.

Since it really comes down to a he said he said type situation, we have to go on credibility. One side is a proven liar, caught on tape lying, who has everything to lose if what the other side said is true. On the other side you have a guy who is extremely credible, and has everything to lose if what he is saying is false.

Anyone who figures Trump is telling the truth and Woodward is lying are showing they literally lack the ability to discern right from wrong. Either that or they think that scoring points for team red is more important that right or wrong. Neither option speaks well to them.

Gcbel,

yes, for the leftys it doesnt matter what trump does hes just wrong. The leftys have as much credibility left as Woodwards 'deathbed interview ' with Pat Casey. Yeah, look it up leftys. Just one of Woodward's many fabrications. The list is long.

Yeah sure, I hope every liberal in America buys this and all similar “hit job” books.

Good for the economy and less money in liberal pockets to travel around “resisting” or to buy Nikes. The recent hit job books are now on 90% clearance sale in most places and cheaper than actual toilet paper.

I can agree with you. But you can’t just go around making up things that are not true and presenting them as facts. Yeah sure, Trump does it, right? So why do liberals complain about it then do the exact same thing?

Or expecting me to believe James Mattis is a liar instead of a guy trying to sell a book. It’s not rational.

Black, that is not what any sane individual in Washington believes. You can go ahead and pretend that all is peachy in the Trump WH while ignoring flaring evidence all around you.

bass4funkToday  01:27 pm JST

Given your 35+ years in journalism, what’s your opinion of Woodward? How is he viewed in your industry?

I respect the man, but I’ve always been skeptical about things that he writes about all the presidents so far.

So, what exactly is it that you respect about Bob Woodward?

Liberals call this “evasive” now? It could’nt be more clear, considering he also added that not only did he not say it, no one else did when he was there. It’s crystal clear.

were never uttered by me or in my presence,” Mattis said

@Blacklabel

The direction of the left side of the political spectrum is clearly heading to where they feign not to be cognizant to so many notable of things. By masking not to know a lot of things guarantees that there is no associated guilt, no actual linkage to conscience, dismissal of truth endorses effortless trespass. This type of ideology banks on on the willingness of the other side to affirm to their presentations; and of course reconciliation. Do not be fooled!!

Just another deep state Liberal in total "FEAR" of whats happening to his party.

Instead of "FEAR" it should have been called "FIRED" Now we have an interesting story.

FBI & DOJ CORRUPTION 

FEDERAL BUREAU OF "INVESTIGATION"

James Comey, Director – FIRED

Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director - FIRED

Jim Rybicki, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor – FIRED

James Baker, General Counsel – FIRED

Bill Priestap, Director of Counterintelligence (Strzok’s boss) – Cooperating witness [power removed]

Peter Strzok, Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence – FIRED

Lisa Page, Office of General Counsel – FIRED/FORCED

Mike Kortan, Assistant Director for Public Affairs – FIRED

Josh Campbell, Special Assistant to Comey – FIRED

@yakyak

Here is the Department of Justice side of things...

Chief of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section [NAT SEC - HRC email invest] , DAVID LAUFMAN was either forced to resign or got canned

Assistant Attorney General – Head of DOJ’s National Security Division, JOHN P. CARLIN was canned or forced to resign. Connected to July 2016 rejected FISA app as well as the recusal of FISA judge Judge Rudolph Contreras

Deputy Attorney General & Acting Attorney General - SALLY YATES, canned by POTUS

Acting Assistant Attorney General – Acting Head of DOJ’s National Security Division, MARY MCCORD, canned or forced to resign

Associate Deputy Attorney General, BRUCE OHR , cooperating witness who got demoted twice and remove his authority and most like to get canned soon after his revealing testimony recently with his connections to Christopher Steele (UK spy), Oleg Depriska (Putin's oligarch BFF), Glen Simpson (Fusion GPS) and Andrew Weissman (Bob Mueller's right hand man and bulldog lawyer)

Associate Attorney General – No. 3 official behind Deputy AG Rosenstein, RACHEL BRAND was either force to resign or canned.

@Sneezy

Point taken.

Who is Woodward's "confidential source"? Lanny Davis?

I guess I should stick with the safer comments: Bob didn’t really reveal anything we couldn’t have sussed from public Trump. Incompetent , petty, belittles subordinates, none-too-bright, incurious, narcissistic, habitual liar.

I’m sure folks like Mattis and Kelly would have no reason to lie if they had indeed said what’s been ascribed to them.

So who is the liar? James Mattis or Bob Woodward? Simple question. They can’t both be telling the truth.

I can answer this: James Mattis is the liar. I hope this has been helpful.

For the avoidance of doubt, you're saying that Richard Nixon was innocent, and that the Watergate scandal was fake news?

I’d bet it’s much more likely he doesn’t even get your reference.

I respect the man, but I’ve always been skeptical about things that he writes about all the presidents so far.

For the avoidance of doubt, you're saying that Richard Nixon was innocent, and that the Watergate scandal was fake news?

Black, that is not what any sane individual in Washington believes. You can go ahead and pretend that all is peachy in the Trump WH while ignoring flaring evidence all around you. It is not okay; it is getting worse. And all of this is due to the characteristics of Trump.

Of course, when things come crashing down, you'll blame it on some mythical conspiracy, "the liberals." But a word to the wise: one can only rely on luck so long. Eventually consequences emerge. And that extends to staffing as well.

Mattis said he didn’t say what Woodward wrote in his book that was said. So that means Woodward lied.

Um, no it doesn’t.

Once again you try to apply your binary reductionist logic to a real-world situation and fail.

Liberals call this “evasive” now? It could’nt be more clear, considering he also added that not only did he not say it, no one else did when he was there. It’s crystal clear.

were never uttered by me or in my presence,” Mattis said

Mattis said he didn’t say what Woodward wrote in his book that was said. So that means Woodward lied.

you can play liberal games all you want that he might have said something else another time or something else similar.

but a reasonable person would take Mattis statement at its meaning. He didn’t say what the book says he said.

@cochise Laguna, so nobody can actually deny anything. Lefty la-la land - we've arrived!

Who's 'we'? Putin's 'uber righties'?

Secretary Mattis:  “The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward’s book were never uttered by me or in my presence,”   "Let me add, I'm shocked, shocked to hear that I would ever utter such a cruel and untrue remark against our President"

Aide:  Uh, Mr Secretary, here's your personal copy of the meeting minutes where you called the President a Fifth grader..."

Secretary Mattis:, "Oh, thank you...."

Laguna, so nobody can actually deny anything. Lefty la-la land - we've arrived!

...attributed to me in Woodward’s book...

That's my whole point, Black. One need look at the qualifiers. If I say, "My dog is a friggin' idiot during mating season," and an author writes "My dog is stupid during mating season," I can deny I ever said it.

You need to look at the subdued response to the book at the evasive patterns of denials - as well as the other well-documented examples of Trump WH dysfunction - to assume veracity in what a well-regarded journalist has compiled.

I see quite a few posters here don’t know who James Mattis is.

Let me educate you, he is the guy who is NOT selling an anonymously sourced book with his name on the cover. As opposed to another guy who is.

Yeah nice job only posting half of Mattis statement. Here is the other half:

“The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward’s book were never uttered by me or in my presence,” Mattis said in a statement. “While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility.”

I see quite a few posters here who do not know who Woodward is.

Big mistake. But keep right on making those mistakes.

@theFritzx Btw, Ronald Reagan wrote that "Woodward is a liar."

Remember, sadly, Reagan suffered from dementia for large parts of his tenure.

and makes a killing on the lecture circuit

Why, isn't that what capitalism's all about, and isn't that good fo the economy?

@yakyak Just another deep state Liberal

I'm not sure what a 'deep state liberal' is. Is this what you mean?

The deep state is a conspiracy theory that there are a body of people who are secretly manipulating or controlling US government policy, and the President must serve their interests or else risk assassination.[36] It serves as a convenient excuse for the alt-right as to why Trump can't get anything done (e.g. It doesn't matter, the deep state are stopping him at all costs and he needs to make sure they don't take him out!).[37] Like many alt-right expressions, the term can be used as covert anti-Semitism.[38]

It would be funnier watching the right absolutely lose their s%&t when people speak badly of dear leader, if we didn't have to live through the reality of dear leader in office.

So who is the liar? James Mattis or Bob Woodward? 

Black, notice the careful words Trump aides couch their language in. Mattis wrote in response to the book:

While responsible policy making in the real world is inherently messy, it is also essential that we challenge every assumption to find the best option. 

In other words, we fight and say nasty things about each other - and one possible assumption is that the president is a moron. His denial was not categorical. He can deny using the precise words that Woodward attributed to him, but he is admitting the sentiment.

@bas4 Most liberals that are from the millennial generation

Re millennials, I think it's difficult for older people to understand how they perceive the world they're being left. The ones I know do NOT like the idea of having foreign governments meddling with the US. They're like traditional conservatives in that regard. That's another way traditional conservatives differ from Trump supporters who want to allow Russia greater access to US politics in part because Putin's convinced them he's a conservative Christian. he he har oh my

It's entertaining to watch all the Trump supporters here twist themselves into knots trying to attack and delegitimize Woodward.  Its certainly a consistent tactic for them when confronted with unpleasant truths;

  -  Manafort - sleeze

  -  Gates - sleeze

  -  Papadapolous - sleeze

  -  Cohen - sleeze

  -  Omorosa - sleeze

Of course, two years ago these were all part of "only the best"...

What's disappointing to me is to have to watch respected Generals like Mattis and Kelly (notice I didn't say Flynn) go out a grovel for their jobs knowing the hatchet will be coming for them just like Tillertson.

Just another deep state Liberal in total "FEAR" of whats happening to his party.

Instead of "FEAR" it should have been called "FIRED" Now we have an interesting story.

FBI & DOJ CORRUPTION 

FEDERAL BUREAU OF "INVESTIGATION"

James Comey, Director – FIRED

Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director - FIRED

Jim Rybicki, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor – FIRED

James Baker, General Counsel – FIRED

Bill Priestap, Director of Counterintelligence (Strzok’s boss) – Cooperating witness [power removed]

Peter Strzok, Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence – FIRED

Lisa Page, Office of General Counsel – FIRED/FORCED

Mike Kortan, Assistant Director for Public Affairs – FIRED

Josh Campbell, Special Assistant to Comey – FIRED

It's incredible that there are some people who can't imagine that there are real writers out there with enough professional and intellectual discipline to recognise a subject of importance, research it, interview those involved, utilise multiple sources of information, make notes and write memoirs, then actually have the linguistic and literary skills to sit down, get it all together in their heads, and then write about it in an actual real book that interests other people to the extent that they want to buy it

Well only the stupidest of the stupid will actually believe that. Most of them just don't like Dear Leader being besmirched, so they try to discredit the author. They know there is nothing in particular wrong with the author, but when there is no defending the content of the writing, all they can try to do is discredit the author. It's slimy and pathetic - but that's politics in America!

Mucking out at the St Petersburg farm commenced early this morning....

Heh. I guess when a journalist that already brought down a corrupt republican president gets his teeth into the Orange imposter it's great concern for the cause. Especially with mater Putin's approval rating at home dropping like a stone.

Tick. Tock...

So who is the liar? James Mattis or Bob Woodward? Simple question. They can’t both be telling the truth.

This latest hit job will make a perfect book end to Michael Wolff's "bombshell" with Omorosa's "tell all" sandwiched in between.

Yeah - it is kinda coincidental that they all point out exactly they same type of dysfunctions- the same type of dysfunctions that have clearly marred Trump's presidency (infighting, lack of focus, bad boss, reckless decisions). They're either accurate or all three authors have colluded. But I suppose you only need to read one.

Oh please, Woodward is a darling of the liberal/left because he tells them what they want to hear. Hes on the regular CNN 'panel' of 'experts', and makes a killing on the lecture circuit like bill and hillary.

A little research will show you that hes been dismissed by non- partisan critics for all the exaggeration and fabrication in his books.

Btw, Ronald Reagan wrote that "Woodward is a liar."

Put his book on your shelf next to Omorosa's.

Heh, another anti-Trump book. Gee, how original.

This latest hit job will make a perfect book end to Michael Wolff's "bombshell" with Omorosa's "tell all" sandwiched in between.

This is both sad and hilarious. You could have never made this stuff up before. And Dowd also says that Trump will end up in an orange jumpsuit if he answers Mueller's questions

But Dowd denied every saying that, so I take his word for it.

John Dowd (then-Trump's attorney) to special counsel Robert Mueller about appearing before him and answering questions:

"I'm not going to sit there and let him look like an idiot. And you publish that transcript, because everything leaks in Washington, and the guys overseas are going to say, 'I told you he was an idiot. I told you he was a g***damn dumbbell. What are we dealing with this idiot for?' "

This is both sad and hilarious. You could have never made this stuff up before. And Dowd also says that Trump will end up in an orange jumpsuit if he answers Mueller's questions.

President Swamp reveals the clayeyest of feet of clay!

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the book was"nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the president look bad."

That's a pretty weak defense. No one of consequence will ever refer to Trump as a cultured, refined, knowledgeable etc politician/man and, to some extent, there's nothing wrong with that.

The WH should just own up to the fact that yes DT isn't that smart, cultured etc and play the 'who cares we got results, I am a doer, i luv you Kansas! etc' card, which they did during the campaign. Trump's base don't really mind that their potus isnt as smart/polished as other pollies anyway. They may even wear it as a badge of honor.

Given your 35+ years in journalism, what’s your opinion of Woodward? How is he viewed in your industry?

I respect the man, but I’ve always been skeptical about things that he writes about all the presidents so far.

I think traditional conservatives do, but I don't think most Trump supporters can be viewed as being traditional conservatives. 

Very true.

I doubt any traditional conservative thinks it's appropriate for a politician like Trump to use his position to attack private corporations.

Like the liberal hit machines?

Most traditional conservatives value a law and order platform and would be horrified to see a president who's surrounded himself with so many criminals. 

When Democrats and criminals dating stealing a piece of gum is a crime worthy of the death penalty.

Most traditional conservatives push family values and would view with disdain Trump's dealings with prostitutes and porn stars. 

Most liberals that are from the millennial generation are the gas generation as I call them because everything is considered a sin and has to be flushed out from history, except their history of course. Most liberals are tolerant when it comes to their shortcomings, but are critical and downright merciless when it comes to conservative sins.

Most traditional conservatives would be shocked to see how government spending is increasing under Trump. 

Most liberals never cared about spending at all and actually encouraged it under the previous administration and as long as it funded liberal causes, they were happy to hold a blank check, now all of a sudden...gasp, they are horrified about the slashing of excessive entitlements and and abhor people actually keeping some of the money they earn.

Trump-rightists are a very different group from traditional conservatives.

Yes to a point. But liberals are pretty much the same. Spend, tax, be PC, race and we are smarter because we are liberals....yawn, the typical boring things liberals keep regurgitating.

"Jeff Sessions is mentally retarded and a dumb Southerner." --- Donald J. Trump

Ouch! That hurts and I don't even know the guy.

Bass: but it doesn’t mean it’s not garbage or that a lot of it is not fabricated.

Given your 35+ years in journalism, what’s your opinion of Woodward? How is he viewed in your industry?

@bas4 Of course the right support free market.

I think traditional conservatives do, but I don't think most Trump supporters can be viewed as being traditional conservatives.

I doubt any traditional conservative thinks it's appropriate for a politician like Trump to use his position to attack private corporations.

Most traditional conservatives value a law and order platform and would be horrified to see a president who's surrounded himself with so many criminals.

Most traditional conservatives push family values and would view with disdain Trump's dealings with prostitutes and porn stars.

Most traditional conservatives would be shocked to see how government spending is increasing under Trump.

Trump-rightists are a very different group from traditional conservatives.

I think Trump's saying this to bring greater attention to the book in order to increase sales.

What?

Higher sales mean more people making money, making the economy look better, bringing in more tax revenue, meaning more money for the government to provide subsidies to farm corporations and big war industries. 

No, I think Trump is saying, buy the book, but after the fad is over, Woodward becomes richer and the people who bought is less informed and still dumb.

*Trump supporters opposing these books are sounding like anti-free market, anti-capitalist statists who value a politician higher than they value the market. And look at Nike, Google, Amazon and so many others. Whatever happened to the free-market pushing Republicans.*

Of course the right support free market. Criticizing the book does it mean conservatives are against the market, but there are two sides to every story and it seems like as a typical liberal fashion only one side counts and that’s the side that slanders Trump Opposing it doesn’t mean people cannot buy the books, people can but what they want and they can think and they can interpret it as they wish, but it doesn’t mean it’s not garbage or that a lot of it is not fabricated.

@BigYen I've got to correct you on the main example you use, though

The histories I've read suggest the same thing you're saying.

A lot of WH aides treading carefully today, but they can be somewhat assured of job security as no one else wants their job.

A non-native speaker would need a thesaurus to decipher the multiple terms for "idiot" and "liar" (ironic Trump's already lied about being called a liar, and the book hasn't even been released yet.) What sort of Trumpian blowback arises will be interesting to see.

So naturally no comments about what James Mattis said. Kills your whole narrative.

If this is true, then America is in a big trouble! Generals refuse to comply the 'Ridiculous'order from "Commander In Chief"! Very serious infighting in the top echelon! But that maybe good sometimes for the world!

Clinton and Obama kille Libiyas president Gaddafi and laughed about it..

No he didn't.

Let's try to keep it in the realm of reality, mmkay?

I find it strange that we condone bombing and shelling and shooting civilians in war but when we hear of plans to kill the leaders of "enemy" states we think that to be OTT.   And so Mattis is painted as being reasonable for changing the "assassinate Assad" instruction to one where civilians were killed in a "limited air strike" (haha  - like such a thing exists).

I am kind of sick of this constant flow of media trying to tell us that The Donald is weird.  We know by now.  Many previous POTUS have been odd also.

Despite the media frenzy thew world keeps turning and hasn't yet become noticeably more dangerous or unstable....

Like we should care. Another "respected pundit" goes down the drain.

Only in the eyes of extreme partisans.

And they don't matter. Just a bunch of morons who aren't intelligent enough to see they are screwing themselves and their country in support of Trump.

From General James Mattis, Secretary of Defense:

"The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence. While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility.

"While responsible policy making in the real world is inherently messy, it is also essential that we challenge every assumption to find the best option. I embrace such debate and the open competition of ideas. In just over a year, these robust discussions and deliberations have yielded significant results, including the near annihilation of the ISIS caliphate, unprecedented burden sharing by our NATO allies, the repatriation of U.S. service member remains from North Korea, and the improved readiness of our armed forces. Our defense policies have also enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress.

"In serving in this administration, the idea that I would show contempt for the elected Commander-in-Chief, President Trump, or tolerate disrespect to the office of the President from within our Department of Defense, is a product of someone's rich imagination."

— Secretary Mattis

It's obvious Woodward did not interview Mattis; doubtful he actually interviewed "top aides".

"For this book, Woodward spoke to top aides and other insiders with the understanding that he would not reveal how he got his information, the Post reported."

Like we should care. Another "respected pundit" goes down the drain.

"It's just another bad book," Trump told the Daily Caller.

I think Trump's saying this to bring greater attention to the book in order to increase sales. Higher sales mean more people making money, making the economy look better, bringing in more tax revenue, meaning more money for the government to provide subsidies to farm corporations and big war industries.

Trump supporters opposing these books are sounding like anti-free market, anti-capitalist statists who value a politician higher than they value the market. And look at Nike, Google, Amazon and so many others. Whatever happened to the free-market pushing Republicans.

ROFL big time. To who? He's not even respectful to his wife.

I think after he had unprotected sex with a porn star respect for wife is just a meme. If he is such a germaphobe why wouldn't he use a condom? Maybe the pee tape is real?

Very difficult because the left aren’t respectful, so of course the President is respectful.

A real president is respectful to all the people they lead. Obama was excellent for that.

If you want to take affront to issues on a private level, then don't become the president.

Very difficult because the left aren’t respectful

Irrelevant. He's asking you for a positive account, not a response to such an account

so of course the President is respectful.

ROFL big time. To who? He's not even respectful to his wife.

OK, then, show us an alternative account of Trump's White House, one in which the president is well-informed, thoughtful and balanced in his decision making, steady in temperament, and respectful of those who offer differing points of view.

Very difficult because the left aren’t respectful, so of course the President is respectful.

One in which the entire presidency is not about pleasing the insecure blowhard who somehow managed to become president.

Hmmmm....people got tired of Washington, both parties, the typical establishment thugs, especially from the last administration.

Show us such an account. Otherwise your criticism of "Dems" and "libs" and "the left" is just the usual chin music.

Just like your accusations of the right. Come on.....but Woodward has gotten it wrong before, so it’s not the first time.

It's strange how the White House discredits books before they even have copies of them. That alone shows the amount of lying they are forced to do to defend Trump. On a credibility scale Woodward gets about 90% and Trump gets 3%. (he is a proven pathological liar) Why would anyone but a right wingnut even take the Whitehouse seriously? At least Tillerson never lied about calling trump an idiot. Has more spine than Kelly and Mattis who are "Trump's generals".

Bob Woodward is retired but his name still has huge marketing potential, that’s why the publishing company approached him with a book contract.

Sign here to let us put your name on the cover of our book, we’ll give you and few mil, and our writers in India will take care of the book.

Except that never happened, and there is no evidence to show it did. You are simply trying to discredit the author to sew seeds of discord.

Burning BushToday 08:23 am JST

"But we’re talking Bob Woodward here. It’s absolutely inane to think he’d use a ghost writer."

Do you honestly believe that he has the time to keep daily "memoirs", who does that anymore in this day and age?

Donald Trump seems to have plenty of time for TV, golf and Twitter.

"The people closest to the president of the United States, in his White House, in his administration are saying they see their job as protecting the United States from the president of the United States. That he is a danger to the republic. That is the text of this book. Every meeting that Bob (Woodward) writes about, that is the subtext, and it's not just a sentence here or somebody calling somebody an idiot there. It is detail piled upon detail about the substance of all of those meetings, about the subjects of those meetings, about trade, about the special prosecutor, about all of the issues, about Charlottesville. This is deadly serious, nobody should take any kind of comfort from this book or joy at what Bob reports because yes all of us who have been covering Trump have been doing pieces of this, now we have Trump naked in a whole coherent narrative about his presidency, about his recklessness, about his dishonesty, about his lack of ability, and it is a frightening, damning portrait."

---------Carl Bernstein,

Co-author of "All the President's Men"

Ok then if we have to believe this book, then we have to believe all his books.

“First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton held imaginary conversations...

Fair enough. I'd take imaginary conversations during therapy over complete incompetence any day.

Well, all the “Orange Aid” crew are working overtime today trying to keep their heads from exploding with all the dirt that Woodward lays out on Trump. The book was ghost written in the Philippines or India? I got a good belly laugh at that. KGB disinformation at its most clumsy.

We all had our fears that Trump was impetuous, had no intellectual curiosity, and failed to study or learn – but this book is damning, and ought to scare the bejeesus out of everyone. Irrespective of all his character flaws, we have a vain, self-absorbed, intellectual midget as President, one who his own staff have to hide things from because they would be so damaging to our country.

We can’t afford to have this incompetent in the White House – he has to go, and the sooner the better. If it’s in an orange jumpsuit, so be it.

Democrats will continue to lie and try to use every devious trick they have in their bag of tricks

OK, then, show us an alternative account of Trump's White House, one in which the president is well-informed, thoughtful and balanced in his decision making, steady in temperament, and respectful of those who offer differing points of view. One in which the entire presidency is not about pleasing the insecure blowhard who somehow managed to become president. Show us such an account. Otherwise your criticism of "Dems" and "libs" and "the left" is just the usual chin music.

if it's your job as an investigative journalist to report, of course you'd keep daily 'memoirs' or records of what happens on a daily basis regarding a major news topic like this.

And if it's your job as a paid Russian troll, of course you'd try to cast doubt on the author to seed discord. But that's a major failing of the Russia strategy - their journalists have been suppressed for so long, there is no such thing as a respected journalist, so they make the mistaken assumption that journalists would not be respected in other areas of the world.

BBush

Ahh, if it's your job as an investigative journalist to report, of course you'd keep daily 'memoirs' or records of what happens on a daily basis regarding a major news topic like this. Trump will not last his 4 years, and rightly so. All the stupid things he has done in office will be reversed by the next intelligent POTUS (even a Republican one) and Trump will forever be known as just a brief, embarrassing error.

There have now been multiple books on the unhinged ongoings in the White House. Many writers...from Wolf, Omarosa, stories by multiple media outlets including the WSJ, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time...to Woodward all paint a white house picture of chaos, dysfunction and inefficiency.

It's been one sided because I have yet to see a media connection to the White House which has countered the books written so far, and painted a picture of Trump as presidentially fit, intelligent, a critical thinker, and clear mind and soul. Where are those books? I believe they don't come out because it is true a dysfunctional Trump White House lives on, and the books written so far all have the commonality of showing Trump as a juvenile, rather stupid individual, who is a self centered person and cannot run a White House that functions efficiently. There is no counter viewpoint, because it doesn't exist.

I'm vanity publishing my book continuing all my comments JT moderator deleted :-)

Fun reading, but it won't change much. Trump will continue to lie to his base and they will cheer him for it. It's a sign of a lack of self worth.

Fun reading, but it won't change much. Democrats will continue to lie and try to use every devious trick they have in their bag of tricks to apease their base and they will cheer them for it. It's a sign of sheer desperation.

are huge offices with people with Ph’D’s in English literature that churn out this drivel.

The DC bigwig whose name is on the cover gets a handsome payoff and all they have to do is sign their name on the contract

Maybe. But we’re talking Bob Woodward here. It’s absolutely inane to think he’d use a ghost writer.

here we go again with “but someone wrote it in a book that is sold to make money so it must be true”

Not just someone, that someone is Bob Woodward, one of the most respected journalists out there. It’s ridiculous to think he would make it up.

The constant barage of BS we are fed on Trump makes me think he must be doing something right

Fun reading, but it won't change much. Trump will continue to lie to his base and they will cheer him for it. It's a sign of a lack of self worth.

Burning BushToday  07:18 am JST

All these “memories released” books written by big shots who leave politics are ghost written, a lot of them in places like the Philippines and India,

Bob Woodward is in the Philippines and India now?!

Well, that's erm, a creative way to deflect from stories you don't want to be true, I'll give you that...

And here we go again with “but someone wrote it in a book that is sold to make money so it must be true”

This will be decried as "fake news" by the deluded little Trumpies because Woodward doesn't reveal a number of his sources. Most of them will not understand the journalistic tenets - which Woodward has used in all of his highly respected works - that enable him to verify credibility before publishing, regardless of whether a source is revealed.

I believe every word he's written.

A small silver lining is that dumb southerners voted for a guy who hates dumb southerners.

Here we go again and you the left would have learned from Michael Wolf. Boy the establishment tries. Lol

I’ll give it a few weeks before this is another shelf duster.

What makes this book different from the other books on the Orange White House is that Bob Woodward has his sources backed up. He is reporting that he has hundreds of hours of taped interviews, documents, including a handwritten note from Trump himself, backing his writing up.

Already, he's released an 11 minute interview, recorded with Trump's permission, where Trump at first claims that he never knew Woodward wanted to interview him for the book and then, within the course of 11 minutes, does a complete 180 and says that it was mentioned to him.

In that same call, Kellyanne Conway, who repeatedly has been put forth as someone who has direct access to the President and his ear, states at first that she did 'put in the request' from Woodward to those who have 'decision making power' on Trump's schedule... but not to Trump himself. When pressed, she melts like a snowball in August and passes the phone back to Trump.

It's simple. Woodward has the sources. He knows it, the White House staff know it. They probably even know who talked to Woodward, and what was said (at least, the staff know). Trump probably doesn't because the staff doesn't want him to throw a hissy fit (again).

To quote the CNN story on the book and the Trump phone interview:

Woodward's book relies on hundreds of hours of taped confidential background interviews and dozens of sources in Trump's inner circle, as well as documents, files, diaries and memos, including a note handwritten by Trump himself.

https://us.cnn.com/2018/09/04/politics/bob-woodward-donald-trump-phone-call/index.html

Trump's a liar, and this book is hurtful to him simply because it reveals the truth. That he's woefully incapable of the duties of the office of President of the United States.

After Trump left the meeting, Woodward recounts, “Mattis was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president acted like — and had the understanding of — ‘a fifth- or sixth-grader.’ ”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bob-woodwards-new-book-reveals-a-nervous-breakdown-of-trumps-presidency/2018/09/04/b27a389e-ac60-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html?utm_term=.d7bab8f4edff

@illya So now Trump is supposed to be a Russian puppet that wanted to assassinate Assad?

Trump doesn't read intel reports. Refer to the quote above. It could well be he wasn't aware Assad was a Putin puppet, too.

burningb , a lot of them in places like the Philippines and India,

Source, or are you just flaming, living up to your screen name.

@burnb where there are huge offices with people with Ph’D’s in English literature that churn out this drivel.

I've heard that describes many paid trolls. Russia must have some excellent foreign language programs.

So now Trump is supposed to be a Russian puppet that wanted to assassinate Assad? And despite everything else leaking to the press (INCLUDING that Trump wanted to withdraw from Syria but was stopped by his military advisors) we're only learning about this now many months after the fact?

Works for ME; but don't know it that would really be a "Good Thing",

any more than it was to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Although he was a "Tyrant", he kept

everyone "In Check", much like the Soviet's did in Yugoslavia after WWII.

As soon as they LEFT (and Hussein was removed)...well, we all know what happened.

Hard to say.