Fear
Trump in the White House
by Bob Woodward


(Click for Amazon book review)

BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

Although veteran journalist Bob Woodward has ventured into other subjects, he is known first and foremost as a chronicler of American presidents. Fear: Trump in the White House is his 2018 look at Donald Trump's first year in office. It was followed by Rage in 2020, in which Trump -- who had not been interviewed for the first book -- spoke at length to Woodward. It contained the bombshell revelation that, behind the scenes, Trump realized the COVID-19 pandemic was far more serious than he admitted on camera. Woodward is currently working on a third Trump book covering the end of his presidency ("Peril"). Trump, who has given a number of authors interviews since leaving office, did not include Woodward.

Woodward's specialty is putting the reader in the middle of the White House doings as they confront the crises of the time. After the tumultuous final year of his presidency, which included two impeachment trials, the pandemic, the 2020 campaign, the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, and Trump's false and unproven claims of "fraud," Fear seems almost quaint. As shocking as some of the stories were at the time of release--such as how economic advisor Gary Cohn removed a letter from Trump's desk ending a trade deal with South Korea hoping he wouldn't notice--there was so much more to come. This is before the Helsinki summit where Trump sided with Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian interference in elections, the summits with North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un, and the "perfect phone call" with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky where he tried to pressure the latter into investigating presidential rival Joe Biden.

One of the most notable features of that first year was the churn already starting among his appointees. There was Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who found himself being publicly contradicted by Trump, got dismissed from his post in a presidential tweet, and who reportedly referred to Trump as a "moron." There was Jeff Sessions, the Attorney-General who recused himself from the Russian investigation to Trump's unending anger, and General John Kelly, one of several people whose role as chief of staff was ignored by Trump and those who had the president's ear.

In terms of substance, there was the 2018 tax bill--Trump's major legislative victory--which Trump suggested be called the "Cut, Cut, Cut Bill." [p. 294] In foreign policy he was alienating our NATO allies, pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, and engaging in a war of words with Kim Jong-un who he dubbed "Little Rocket Man," which he called his "best nickname ever" [p. 281]. And then there was white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Trump's evolving comments became an issue in and of themselves. (Not so incidentally, Joe Biden would later cite Trump's reference to "very fine people on both sides" [p.246] as the reason he decided to run for president to oppose him.)

Even when his Trump trilogy is complete, Woodward's books will hardly be the last word on the subject. However, they will remain invaluable sources to those seeking to study the Trump era in years to come.

-- Daniel M. Kimmel, OnTheIssues editor, June 8, 2021

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Civil Rights     Donald Trump: Charlottesville: you had very fine people on both sides.

Families & Children     Marco Rubio: Insisted that Trump tax cut increase Child Tax Credit.     Mike Lee: Insisted that Trump tax cut increase Child Tax Credit.

Foreign Policy     Donald Trump: You can never show weakness; you've got to project strength.

Free Trade     Mike Pence: Stayed out of discussions on steel and aluminum tariffs.

Immigration     Donald Trump: Why are we having people from sh--hole countries come here?

Principles & Values     Jeff Sessions: Trump: shouldn't have recused, wouldn't have picked him.     Lindsey Graham: Trump cleaned up the mess that Obama left.     Lindsey Graham: Presidents need people that can tell them the truth.     Lindsey Graham: Biden: Graham has best instincts in the Senate.

Technology     Donald Trump: Twitter is the reason I got elected and am successful.

War & Peace     Lindsey Graham: Don't allow North Korea to get missile than can reach US.     Mike Pompeo: CIA should not take responsibility for Afghanistan fighting.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Donald Trump Republican Presidential incumbent Jeff Sessions Alabama Attorney General 2017-2018 Lindsey Graham South Carolina S.C. Senator; Republican Presidential candidate Marco Rubio FL Senator; Republican Presidential candidate Mike Lee Republican Jr Senator Utah Mike Pence Indiana Republican Vice President Mike Pompeo Kansas Former Secretary of State