[RD] Fear: Trump in the White House

[Zkribbler]

Bob Woodword has a new book coming out on Sept. 11: Fear: Trump in the White House. It describes a dysfunctional White House, reigned over by a "lying" "idiot" with the understanding of "a fifth or sixth grader." Staffers admit hiding papers from Trump to prevent him from signing them for the sake of national security. Chief of staff John Kelly says of Trump, ""He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in crazytown."

Trump's lawyer, convinced the President would perjure himself, put Trump through a test — a practice interview for the one he might have with Mueller. Trump failed, according to Dowd, but the President still insisted he should testify. Dowd and Trump's current personal attorney Jay Sekulow then went to Mueller's office and re-enacted the mock interview. Their goal: to argue that Trump couldn't possibly testify because he was incapable of telling the truth.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/04/politics/bob-woodward-book-donald-trump-fear/index.html

 

[EgonSpengler]

I read the Washington Post article about this book. According to that article, Trump went on a 30-minute tirade during the mock interview, and Dowd quit the next morning.

For those who haven't heard of him, or for whom the name rings a bell, Woodward was one of the journalists who broke the Watergate story in 1972, with Carl Bernstein. He was played by Robert Redford in All the President's Men.

 

[Kozmos]

After Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical attack on civilians in April 2017, Trump called Mattis and said he wanted to assassinate the dictator. “Let’s fudging kill him! Let’s go in. Let’s kill the fudging lot of them,” Trump said, according to Woodward.


Mattis told the president that he would get right on it. But after hanging up the phone, he told a senior aide: “We’re not going to do any of that. We’re going to be much more measured.” The national security team developed options for the more conventional airstrike that Trump ultimately ordered.


...


Cohn, a Wall Street veteran, tried to tamp down Trump’s strident nationalism regarding trade. According to Woodward, Cohn “stole a letter off Trump’s desk” that the president was intending to sign to formally withdraw the United States from a trade agreement with South Korea. Cohn later told an associate that he removed the letter to protect national security and that Trump did not notice that it was missing.


...


Under orders from the president, Porter drafted a notification letter withdrawing from NAFTA. But he and other advisers worried that it could trigger an economic and foreign relations crisis. So Porter consulted Cohn, who told him, according to Woodward: “I can stop this. I’ll just take the paper off his desk.”


..


Later that month, Dowd told Trump: “Don’t testify. It’s either that or an orange jumpsuit.”

So this pretty much confirms what a lot of people have been thinking. A lot of people stay there to stop Trump from doing a ton of damage to the country.

 

[El_Machinae]

Yes. But it's always easier to destroy than to protect. He's able to do more damage than they're able to prevent.

 

[Zkribbler]

I just dropped in on the Fox News website. There's a lot of talk about disgruntled employees and staffers are denying they ever said that.

Readers' comments seem to be overwhelmingly anti-Trump.

 

[REDY]

Can you show me some video where Trump proved to be competent in anything? I am still confused by choice of American people.

 

[onejayhawk]

So this pretty much confirms what a lot of people have been thinking. A lot of people stay there to stop Trump from doing a ton of damage to the country.

If that was ever an issue, you are almost two years too late.

I wonder if this does as well as Hillary's book.

Can you show me some video where Trump proved to be competent in anything? I am still confused by choice of American people.

Watch a video of a rally, any rally. His timing is impeccable and he's extremely good at reading a crowd.

J

 

[Timsup2nothin]

If that was ever an issue, you are almost two years too late.

I wonder if this does as well as Hillary's book.


Watch a video of a rally, any rally. His timing is impeccable and he's extremely good at reading a crowd.

J

It isn't that hard to read those crowds. They are a horde of idiots screaming for blood; any blood.

 

[Zelig]

Watch a video of a rally, any rally. His timing is impeccable

Trump is not a good orator.

Calling him impeccable at anything other than mashing non-sequiturs together is ludicrous. Compare any video of Trump talking, to say, a non-idiot POTUS:

 

[FriendlyFire]

I wonder if this does as well as Hillary's book.
Watch a video of a rally, any rally. His timing is impeccable and he's extremely good at reading a crowd. J

You voted for a charasmatic snake oil salesman then again you voted for GWBush Twice
Shame on You, cant get fooled again

Trump is not a good orator.
Calling him impeccable at anything other than mashing non-sequiturs together is ludicrous. Compare any video of Trump talking, to say, a non-idiot POTUS:

But Trump speaks just like them and tells it like it is.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

But Trump speaks just like them and tells it like it is.

As I said, it isn't that hard to impress a crowd when it is a crowd of idiots.

 

[FriendlyFire]

As I said, it isn't that hard to impress a crowd when it is a crowd of idiots.

I have to acknowledge that Trump certainly had charisma and by the end of the campaign had perfected a good speech filled with three word campaign slogans
Then again the rest of us were watching Trump lies, incredibly stupid ideas and shaking our heads in amazement

Trump is a narcissist and likely has Alzheimer.
I salute Mattis for stealing the documents off Trumps table so Trump dosnt sign them and never noticed. With him gone F knowing what is happening in the White house

That is great. My hair looks OK. I got a little spray. Give me a little spray. You know you're not allowed to use hair spray anymore because it affects the ozone. You know that, right? I said, 'You mean to tell me' — because you know, hair spray's not like it used to be. It used to be real good. When I put on that helmet — and by the way, look [pats own hair] it really is mine. Lookit. My hair. Give me a mirror. Today ya put the hairspray on and it's good for twelve minutes, right? They say you can't — I said, 'Wait a minute, so if I take hairspray and I spray it in my apartment which is all sealed, you're telling me that affects the ozone layer?' Yes? I say no way folks. No way.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a44691/donald-trump-hair-spray-speech/

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Its interesting to note that in todays America an idiot with half the finances can beat the best qualified candidates supported by the political and financial establishment and msm. I think it says a lot about American idiots...

 

[FriendlyFire]

Its interesting to note that in todays America an idiot with half the finances can beat the best qualified candidates supported by the political and financial establishment and msm. I think it says a lot about American idiots...

And you Voted for G.W.Bush TWICE.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

And you Voted for G.W.Bush TWICE.

MechSalv's posts might make you think he is an American idiot, but he isn't.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

MechSalv's posts might make you think he is an American idiot, but he isn't.

A bit of difference between us obviously. I could be an American though...

 

[Timsup2nothin]

A bit of difference between us obviously. I could be an American though...

I do believe you just called me an idiot. That's a pretty strong accusation. Got any evidence?

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

And you Voted for G.W.Bush TWICE.

Its a bit late hating on Bushes now, dont you think? Besides it seems its the Clintons who are their pals and not Trump.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Its a bit late hating on Bushes now, dont you think? Besides it seems its the Clintons who are their pals and not Trump.

Who are "pals" makes no difference. Electing GWBush, and then re-electing him, used to be the surest indication of American idiocy, and there was hope that a corner had been turned and the American voter was becoming better educated and more responsible. Now there is a new low bar established compared to which voting for GWBush almost looks smart.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I do believe you just called me an idiot. That's a pretty strong accusation. Got any evidence?

You seem to think that half of America are idiots and the other half are getting beaten by them in elections. Embrace your heritage with pride.