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d4acc94
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Republican senator Bob Corker had told reporters "the president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence" needed to succeed in office."
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Bob Woodward |
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0fa8088
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Trump said he wished he had fired Comey at the beginning of the administration but now he wanted Comey out. Bannon disagreed and offered this argument to Trump alone in the Oval Office: "Seventy-five percent of the agents do hate Comey. No doubt. The moment you fire him he's J. fucking Edgar Hoover. The day you fire him, he's the greatest martyr in American history. A weapon to come and get you. They're going to name a special fucking couns..
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Bob Woodward |
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9b320a3
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Trump, who doesn't touch type or use a keyboard,
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Bob Woodward |
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1e55fd9
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A word of explanation about how the information in this book was obtained, evaluated and used. This book is designed to present, as best my reporting could determine, what really happened. The core of this book comes from the written record--National Security Council meeting notes, personal notes, memos, chronologies, letters, PowerPoint slides, e-mails, reports, government cables, calendars, transcripts, diaries and maps. Information in th..
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Bob Woodward |
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da06534
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Maybe that would be less crucial under Obama, Podesta thought, because Obama's approach was so intellectual. He compared Obama to Spock from . The president-elect wanted to put his own ideas to work. He was unsentimental and capable of being ruthless. Podesta was not sure that Obama felt anything, especially in his gut. He intellectualized and then charted the path forward, essentially picking up the emotions of others and translating them..
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war
politics
obama-s-wars
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Bob Woodward |
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5c6dc47
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Another State Department representative noted that the central government lacked legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan public, the lowest in 10 years, according to polling done in the country. He observed that the illicit economy, opium and illegal mining, was the size of the regular economy, and a significant portion was under control of Taliban insurgents.
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Bob Woodward |
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b049300
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Cohn concluded that Trump was, in fact, going backwards. He had been more manageable the first months when he was a novice.
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Bob Woodward |
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003b69b
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The president has zero psychological ability to recognize
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Bob Woodward |
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182006c
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Trump said, "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" He had just met with the prime minister of Norway. Why not more Norwegians?"
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Bob Woodward |
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8699eee
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A heartfelt thanks to Evelyn M. Duffy, my assistant on five books that have covered four presidents. President Trump presents a particular hurdle because of the deep emotions and passions he brings out in supporters and critics. Evelyn immediately grasped that the challenge was to get new information, authenticate it and put it in context while reporting as deeply as possible inside the White House.
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Bob Woodward |
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afd73a9
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For those of you who were critical that nobody paid enough attention to the generals at the beginning of the war, has it occurred to you that you don't want to make that mistake at the end of the war? Secretary Robert Gates
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secretary-of-defense
iraq
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Bob Woodward |
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d6f9f86
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Actually you've never voted in a primary except once in your entire life," Bossie said, citing the record."
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Bob Woodward |
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abef481
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Trump gave some private advice to a friend who had acknowledged some bad behavior toward women. Real power is fear. It's all about strength. Never show weakness. You've always got to be strong. Don't be bullied. There is no choice. "You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," he said. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made. You didn't come out guns blazing and just ..
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Bob Woodward |
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2cc81e7
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Trump had no understanding of how government functioned. At times he would just start drafting orders himself or dictating. The basic tactic Porter had employed from the Priebus days until now was to stall and delay, mention the legal roadblocks and occasionally lift the drafts from the Resolute Desk.
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Bob Woodward |
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856ba06
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What do you mean? Trump asked. Just run the presses--print money.
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Bob Woodward |
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a52d896
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The Big Problem: The president did not understand the importance of allies overseas, the value of diplomacy or the relationship between the military, the economy and intelligence partnerships with foreign governments.
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Bob Woodward |
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099187c
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Eventually Porter developed a routine and would bring in two to 10 decision memos for him to sign each day. Trump liked signing. It meant he was doing things, and he had an up-and-down penmanship that looked authoritative in black Magic Marker.
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Bob Woodward |
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fcbfd81
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For Carter, it was as if the ghosts of Watergate stalked the halls of the White House. As with most ghosts, he wasn't sure they existed, where they were or how to exorcise them.
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shadow
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Bob Woodward |
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1ae7249
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All good work is done in defiance of management.
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Bob Woodward |