Look, look, they issued statements and everything
Trump has gone Full Woodward. Of course he has.
Statement from Secretary of Defense, James Mattis: pic.twitter.com/OneaxKCneV
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
Statement from White House Chief of Staff, General John Kelly: pic.twitter.com/LUN8cDr3N5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
Statement from White House @PressSec, Sarah Sanders: pic.twitter.com/mE73HSi6Rl
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
Oooh, a press statement from the press secretary – now that’s authoritative!
The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly. Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
That is, two guys who still work for you have attempted to distance themselves from Woodward’s book. Wow, imagine our astonishment.
The already discredited Woodward book, so many lies and phony sources, has me calling Jeff Sessions “mentally retarded” and “a dumb southerner.” I said NEITHER, never used those terms on anyone, including Jeff, and being a southerner is a GREAT thing. He made this up to divide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
Jim Mattis Calls Woodward Book 'Fiction': 'Product of Someone's Rich Imagination' https://t.co/HGMDiH98nx via @BreitbartNews
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
“Secretary Mattis Nukes Woodward Allegations” https://t.co/H5bPjsVXNb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
Eight hours between those two, so I guess he got a good night’s sleep. Or maybe somebody took his phone away.
Thank you General Kelly, book is total fiction! https://t.co/J5iUONhRin
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
Thank you General Mattis, book is boring & untrue! https://t.co/Bq79ZjF3Dk
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
He hasn’t read it.
So we should just assume everything in the book is true?
Yeah, we saw their quotes that you posted.
I thought so, but I must say I’m surprised you’re admitting it. Good for you!
No, don’t assume everything in the book is true. Everything in the book has been told to Woodward by someone he had good reason to believe was being reasonably honest with him. Absent video and audio, that’s about as good as we can get. While some details may be not 100% accurate, it’s unlikely the overall picture of a White House in disarray being run by a petulant man-child is far from the mark.
Oh, gee, thanks for explaining that.
Skeletor, as noted by one of Woodward’s colleagues, Woodward has a habit of recording interviews and phone calls. Not every single one, but most. So, we can be confident that he is more likely than not to have some really juicy recordings if needed. Should we ignore every claim he’s made just because he doesn’t publish the recordings? Hardly. firstly, he has earnt respect, trust and in some circles fear, by having a career based on writing accurate and compelling stories using facts. He’s not a proven serial liar. If he were to publish the recordings that would be a breach f trust to his sources, end his career and do more harm than good. now, if a proven serial liar made an unlikely claim and alleged that they had recordings to back it up, I would want to see/hear them.
You’re welcome!
Rob, I meant recordings of the original events, not of the people telling him what happened, but I think we’re pretty much in agreement on Woodward’s credibility. I think he’s fairly representing what he has been told, that he’s being told these things by key people, and that he’s made reasonable efforts to determine they’re not lying to him.
If at some point it comes out that something in his book is objectively incorrect, I have no doubt it will because he was misled by a source rather than making it up himself as Trump is insinuating (“total fiction”).