Bob Woodward's upcoming book 'Fear' paints a damning portrait of Donald Trump's presidency, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with key insiders. The White House chief of staff, John Kelly, reportedly described the president as an 'idiot' and complained they were in 'Crazytown'. The book, obtained early by the Washington Post, depicts a White House in a state of 'nervous breakdown' due to Trump's paranoia over the Russia investigation.
Woodward, famed for his role in uncovering the Watergate scandal, reveals Trump's habit of demeaning his own advisers. He mocked former national security adviser HR McMaster by puffing out his chest, called ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus a 'little rat', and described Attorney General Jeff Sessions as 'mentally retarded' and a 'dumb southerner'. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was told to his face: 'I don't trust you … you're past your prime.'
The book also details Trump's disdain for the late Senator John McCain, whom he reportedly called a coward for being captured in Vietnam. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had to correct Trump, noting McCain refused early release out of solidarity with fellow prisoners. Mattis was so exasperated after a National Security Council meeting on North Korea that he told associates Trump had the understanding of a 10-year-old.
Top officials allegedly conspired to thwart Trump's more extreme impulses. After a chemical weapons attack in Syria in April 2017, Trump reportedly exclaimed: 'Let's fucking kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the fucking lot of them.' Mattis promised an immediate response but quietly dropped the assassination idea. Senior officials also swiped documents from Trump's desk to prevent him from acting on them.
The White House has dismissed the book as 'nothing more than fabricated stories' from disgruntled former employees. However, Woodward's reputation lends significant weight to the account, which echoes Michael Wolff's earlier 'Fire and Fury' but is expected to have even greater impact.
