New Book about Trump: Bedtime reading

[OhSusana]

A new book is released shortly about President Donald Trump.
It is called "Fear". Written by Bob Woodward - who is famous for breaking the story of the Watergate scandal in the 70s.

The Washington Post has today released some amusing - or frightening (depending on your sense of humour) - bits from it.
Woodward used to work for the WP. Below are a few extracts from the article. Apparently the WP managed to "get hold" of a copy of the book. Enjoy...
(I wasn't sure where to post this. Politics, or the Joke section!)

Bob Woodward’s new book reveals a ‘nervous breakdown’ of Trump’s presidency
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... 34a361f9e0

Woodward depicts Trump’s anger and paranoia about the Russia inquiry as unrelenting, at times paralyzing the West Wing for entire days. Learning of the appointment of Mueller in May 2017, Trump groused, “Everybody’s trying to get me"...

Woodward describes “an administrative coup d’etat” and a “nervous breakdown” of the executive branch, with senior aides conspiring to pluck official papers from the president’s desk so he couldn’t see or sign them...

Trump’s national security team was shaken by his lack of curiosity and knowledge about world affairs and his contempt for the mainstream perspectives of military and intelligence leaders.
At a National Security Council meeting on Jan. 19, Trump disregarded the significance of the massive U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula, including a special intelligence operation that allows the United States to detect a North Korean missile launch in seven seconds vs. 15 minutes from Alaska, according to Woodward. Trump questioned why the government was spending resources in the region at all.
“We’re doing this in order to prevent World War III,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told him.
After Trump left the meeting, Woodward recounts, “Mattis was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president acted like — and had the understanding of — ‘a fifth- or sixth-grader.’ ”[10 year old]

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly frequently lost his temper and told colleagues that he thought the president was “unhinged,” Woodward writes. In one small group meeting, Kelly said of Trump: “He’s an idiot. It’s pointless to try to convince him of anything. He’s gone off the rails. We’re in Crazytown..."

Priebus dubbed the presidential bedroom, where Trump obsessively watched cable news and tweeted, “the devil’s workshop,” and said early mornings and Sunday evenings, when the president often set off tweetstorms, were “the witching hour.”

[Dominic]

He can't be that much of an idiot if he became president of the USA.

[Devil]

He can't be that much of an idiot if he became president of the USA.

I thought being an idiot was an essential qualification for the job; who, in their right senses would want it?

[kingfisher]

Absolutely right Devil; and even more remarkable,to do it for free!

[OhSusana]

This is also rather amusing …

Premature death could help explain why Donald Trump is president, suggests study
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scie ... 23021.html

Places with large numbers of deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide were far more likely to be convinced to vote for the Republican candidate in the US election.

"It's commonly argued that President Trump won by receiving more votes from people who have been left behind economically--especially older, less-educated, and less-urban, white voters," said Dr Goldman, who led the study at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
"Based on our data, we can also say that changes in life expectancy were an independent factor in voting choices. Reduced health prospects are an important marker of dissatisfaction, discouragement, hopelessness, and fear--sentiments that may have resonated with voters who sided with President Trump.

==
Parallels with Brexit?!
Of course the Americans have one serious advantage here - they can remove Trump.
But the Brits are stuck with Brexit! ))

[Dominic]

Show me a report saying he has the intellect of an 11 year old.

[tyelaw47]

Ha ha this is how things get exaggerated out of all proportion. You are prepared to accept reports from the Media but then put your own little spin on it,then someone else comes along,reads your spin and puts their little spin on it which might be be the intellect of a 9 year old and before long it turns into a 5 year old!!
The media has to sensationalise - don't be gullible and get sucked in !!

[Lofos-5]

Show me a report saying he has the intellect of an 11 year old.

This was widely quoted a few days ago:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 23066.html

From the FEAR book that OhSusana quoted already above...

[tyelaw47]

Now you are putting words into my mouth HIC.Where did I say that? You are exactly proving my point that statements get misinterpreted and exaggerated!!

[Dominic]

Show me a report saying he has the intellect of an 11 year old.

This was widely quoted a few days ago:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 23066.html

From the FEAR book that OhSusana quoted already above...

I meant a proper report. Not just some soundbite in a book somebody is trying to flog.

[Lofos-5]

I meant a proper report. Not just some soundbite in a book somebody is trying to flog.

That's a different story - maybe we one day get to see Trump's medical records... - but in the meantime I rather believe James Mattis, Rex Tillerson et al. then the @realDonaldTrump.

[Dominic]

Rex Tillerson:

Rex Tillerson has been fired. Experts say he did damage that could last “a generation.”
Tillerson was “one of the worst secretaries of state” in modern history, according to experts from across the political spectrum.

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/3/13/160 ... department

James Mattis:

He denied saying the words, and described the book as a piece of fiction.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 23066.html

______

Personally, I don't think an idiot can rise to the top of any big institution, and they don't come any bigger than the USA government. I do think that Trump gets away with a lot by playing the buffoon though, but the question then arises, is who's the bigger fool? How many unpopular policies has he snuck through at the same time as making some outrageous statement? How many times has bad news been deflected by some seemingly random and unrelated tweet? He can pretty much control the media at the moment, not by force, but because they have become willing slaves to his actions.

Don't get me wrong, I think he is a horrible person, I just don't think he is an idiot.

[ApusApus]

I agree, Trump is no fool but at the moment he is riding on the crest of a wave of passionate support and in his followers' eyes he can do no wrong! One day though his time as president will be over sooner or later ………… and then we can look forward to another clown taking over!


Shane