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Of course they had to issue denials after Woodward published the book. They couldn’t just let that fester while continuing to work for Trump. The press wasn’t gonna let up until they confirmed whether or not Woodward’s attributions to them were true.
Mattis resigned from the Trump Administration because he’s a warmonger that wanted to stay in Syria. That doesn’t make him heroic or credible. It just makes him a simple hawkish warmonger that hasn’t seen a conflict that he doesn’t like.
Why did none of the others, such as Bannon, Priebus, Kellyanne Conway, Tillerson issue denials? Why couldn't Mattis let it 'fester' but the others could? Mattis resigned because he was at loggerheads policy-wise. That was the honorable thing to do, and that lends credibility in my book. Most would have hung on and kept cashing the paychecks. Your characterization of him as 'warmonger' is COMPLETLY irrelevant to the question of his credibility.
BTW, in the book, Navy Seal captain and close associate of Mattis is quoted as saying "if you know Jim Mattis, he's not a fan of going to war."
They had to, didn't they? They were both working for President Trump when the book was released, right?
What did you expect them to say?
The could have just put the book on ignore, like almost all the rest of the Trump people quoted did. A good example is Rex Tillerson. He is quoted in the book as calling Trump an [expletive that starts with 'f'] moron, making sure it was loud enough so that all could hear. Tillerson was asked repeatedly about it, and he would never say 'yes' or 'no.'
Why did none of the others, such as Bannon, Priebus, Kellyanne Conway, Tillerson issue denials? Why couldn't Mattis let it 'fester' but the others could? Mattis resigned because he was at loggerheads policy-wise. That was the honorable thing to do, and that lends credibility in my book. Most would have hung on and kept cashing the paychecks. Your characterization of him as 'warmonger' is COMPLETLY irrelevant to the question of his credibility.
BTW, in the book, Navy Seal captain and close associate of Mattis is quoted as saying "if you know Jim Mattis, he's not a fan of going to war."
Yeah, but he wants to stay in Syria????
Soooooooo....what conclusion shall I draw from THAT?
The could have just put the book on ignore, like almost all the rest of the Trump people quoted did. A good example is Rex Tillerson. He is quoted in the book as calling Trump an [expletive that starts with 'f'] moron, making sure it was loud enough so that all could hear. Tillerson was asked repeatedly about it, and he would never say 'yes' or 'no.'
Bannon, Mattis, Kelly, Priebus, etc. are all gone. It made no difference whether or not they denied quotes. I think the only inner circle people from the book who remain are Mnuchin and Kelleyanne Conway. And Jared & Ivanka, of course. It's a point without a point.
This book is so stuffed full of fascinating items that I must split my review into pieces. I highly recommend it whether you are pro or anti Trump.
Like all Woodward books, it's largely anonymously-sourced, so who knows what is to be believed? James Mattis (SecDef) and John Kelly (chief of staff) denied some quotes attributed to them. I tend to trust Woodward, but I trust Mattis and Kelly more.
The book spans from July 2016 to March 2018, and is about 350 pages. The title seemed strange. It comes from a Trump quote: "Real power is--I don't even want to use the word--fear." Standard Sun Tzu/Machiavelli fare. If the implication is supposed to be that we should fear the Trump admin, that seems a canard.
There is a dog that doesn't bark in the book: Mike Pence rarely shows up. I always thought he might be running things behind the scenes, but evidently not. Or maybe it's just that Pence and his crew don't leak. The main actors are Trump, Bannon, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka. Others with starring roles are Priebus, Mattis, Gary Cohn (econ guy), Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Kellyanne Conway.
The book starts with a flashback to a 2010 meeting between Trump, Bannon, and 'Citizens United' president David Bossie. Trump was thinking of running. Bossie tells Trump that his spotty voting record is a problem. "They don't know how I voted," says Trump. Bossie explains no, not how you voted; whether you voted. Trump doesn't realize that is public record...politics 101. Still, Bannon tells Bossie after the meeting he was "pretty impressed with the guy." Six years later Bannon is in charge of his campaign.
The infamous 'Hollywood Access' tape release on Oct 7., where Trump bragged about groping, is covered. After the release, Trump, Bannon, Reince Priebus, and Chris Christie meet at Trump Tower. "What's the percentages?" asks Trump.
Chris Christie echoes:
Bannon is the only one who thinks there is still a path forward. He crafts their response, Trump buys in 100%, and the rest is history.
I will post more from the book, but this is already way too long for CD.
I read the book when it came out. Far better written than "Fire and Fury" by Michael Wolff or "Collusion" by Luke Harding, with far better documentation. Woodward nailed Nixon, and this one nails Trump the same way.
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