Jamie Gangel: “What’s Different About Woodward’s Book Is These Are Not The President’s Critics. These Are Not Democrats. These Are Not Never-Trumpers. These Are His Inner Circle.” JAMIE GANGEL: “We have seen a lot of reporting from day one about chaos and dysfunction. What’s different about Woodward’s book is these are not the President’s critics. These are not Democrats. These are not never-Trumpers. These are his inner circle.” [New Day, CNN, 9/5/18; Video]
Jamie Gangel: “Woodward Reports This Constant Fear That The President Bluntly Was A Danger To National Security. That He Didn’t Understand What Was Going On.” JAMIE GANGEL: “That is the theme throughout this book. Woodward reports this constant fear that the president bluntly was a danger to national security. That he didn’t understand what was going on, we hear, you know, chief of staff John Kelly has now denied saying he called the president ‘An idiot.’ But there are other quotes that woodward has that he has not denied, where he says that the president is unhinged. has dangerous impulses, is erratic. So This is something that you see throughout the book.” [New Day, CNN, 9/5/18; Video]
Jeffery Toobin: “Does Anyone Really Think That Donald Trump Doesn’t Behave This Way, Of Course He Behaves This Way, This Is Just A Richer More Detailed Portrait, And The Lawyer Said The Hell With This, We’re Not Going To Put This Guy In Front Of Robert Muller’s Staff When A False Statement Could Get Him Impeached Or Indicted.” JEFFERY TOOBIN: “I don’t think anything in this book — it is all shocking but not surprising, does anyone really think that Donald Trump doesn’t behave this way, of course he behaves this way, this is just a richer more detailed portrait, and the lawyer said the hell with this, we’re not going to put this guy in front of Robert Muller’s staff when a false statement could get him impeached or indicted, it’s just totally believable.” [New Day, CNN, 9/5/18; Video]
David Gregory: “This Is Not Really A Team Effort. This Is A President That Has Certain Beliefs Informed Or Not, Who Is Driving Policy In The White House And So Much Of His Advisory Around Him Is About Restraining Those Impulses.” DAVID GREGORY: “It also tells us that, this president is really isolated and how top down policy making, decision making, agenda setting is. This is not really a team effort. This is a president that has certain beliefs informed or not, who is driving policy in the white house and so much of his advisory around him is about restraining those impulses. Some people will see that and trying to do the right thing and being restrained by the deep state and the establishment. I think many other people will be looking at it as just an alarming situation.” [New Day, CNN, 9/5/18; Video]
Carol Lee: “It’s Hard To Fathom A President Of The United States, The Commander In Chief, Giving Orders, Saying That He Wanted Certain Policies To Be Adopted And The People Around Him Essentially Thinking That They Know Better.” CAROL LEE: “Yeah, and the big takeaway for me was looking at this. It’s hard to fathom a president of the United States, the commander in chief, giving orders, saying that he wanted certain policies to be adopted and the people around him essentially thinking that they know better and running a sort of tag team operation where they would, one of the would warn another one about the president’s moving in a certain direction and would all kind of mobilize to keep the president from doing what he wanted to do, and our reporting showed that, you know, we focused largely on the president’s national security team, and starting from last summer, a deterioration of that relationship and a constant battle between his national security advisors who wanted him to take measures that they thought were far better than the ones the president was proposing, and president they felt needed to be contained on everything from Afghanistan to the Korean peninsula.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/5/18; VIDEO]
Kristen Welker: “Woodward Describing The President’s One Time Lead Attorney John Dowd So Convinced That The President Would Commit Perjury He Staged A Practice Interview Last January. That Session So Rocky, Woodward Wrote That Dowd Later Told Mr. Trump, Don’t Testify. It’s Either That Or An Orange Jumpsuit.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/5/18; VIDEO]
Kristen Welker: “Former Economic Adviser Gary Cohen Reportedly Preventing The President Withdrawing From A Trade Agreement With South Korea By Swiping A Letter Off His Desk.” KRISTEN WELKER: “The book also a remarkable portrait of aides taking extreme measures to block their boss. Former economic adviser Gary Cohen reportedly preventing the president? Withdrawing from a trade agreement with South Korea by swiping a letter off his desk and after the president told defense secretary James Mattis he wanted to assassinate Syrian dictator bashar Al Assad for a chemical attack, president mat is said on the phone he would do it but then told a senior aide we’re not going to do any of that and the book describing extraordinary insults from the president’s staff writing Mattis described Mr. Trump as having the understanding of a fifth or sixth grader and chief of staff. John Kelly called the president an idiot. Kelly calling that BS and another pathetic attempt to smear people close to president trump and distract from the administration’s many successes. Mattis calls the accusations the product of someone’s rich imagination. Woodward describing a president lobbying his own insults calling Jeff sessions retarded and a dumb souther.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/5/18; VIDEO]
Cecilia Vega: “He’s Actually Now Going After Woodward’s Credibility, And Mind You, He Is Among The Most Respected Journalists In This Town. But The White House Says This Book Is Nothing More Than Fabricated Stories, And It Does Not End There. This Just In From The Chief Of Staff, He Calls It, ‘Total BS’, And From The Defense Secretary, This Is ‘A Product Of Someone’s Rich Imagination’, But Tonight, David, Woodward Is Standing By His Reporting.” DAVID MUIR: “In that audio that you were just playing there as it continues, we actually heard today that President Trump tells Bob Woodward he has always been fair. We just heard him saying, I don’t blame you completely for this. Now the president is lashing out at the author and the new book.” CECILIA VEGA: “He’s actually now going after Woodward’s credibility, and mind you, he is among the most respected journalists in this town. But the White House says this book is nothing more than fabricated stories, and it does not end there. This just in from the chief of staff, he calls it, ‘Total BS’, and from the defense secretary, this is ‘A product of someone’s rich imagination’, but tonight, David, Woodward is standing by his reporting.” [World News Tonight, ABC, 9/4/18; VIDEO]
Cecilia Vega: “President Trump Is Clearly Bothered By These Accounts, And He Was Up Late Last Night Tweeting On These Reporting Disparaging Comments About Jeff Sessions, His Attorney General.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/5/18; VIDEO]
Cecilia Vega: “The White House Says That These Are Disgruntled Former Employees Making These Claims. They’re Really Out To Try To Discredit This Book, But Woodward Says He’s Painting The Picture Of A White House In Chaos, And That Aides Are Spending Their Days Trying To Prevent The President From Making Catastrophic Mistake Because They Believe He Himself Is A Danger To National Security.” GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The president responding this morning, calling it a fabrication, calling for changes also in the libel laws. I want to bring in our Cecilia Vega for more on that. Cecilia, good luck on that.” CECILIA VEGA: “The White House says that these are disgruntled former employees making these claims. They’re really out to try to discredit this book, but Woodward says he’s painting the picture of a White House in chaos, and that aides are spending their days trying to prevent the president from making catastrophic mistake because they believe he himself is a danger to national security.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/5/18; VIDEO]