Woodward book prompts West Wing witch hunt, sources say
Source: CNN
By Jeff Zeleny, Senior White House Correspondent
Updated 1:29 PM ET, Wed September 5, 2018
(CNN)President Donald Trump, showing his outrage over Bob Woodward's explosive new book, is ordering a real witch hunt in the West Wing and throughout his administration, asking loyal aides to help determine who cooperated with the book.
As the President publicly fumes on Twitter, he's privately on a mission to determine who did -- and didn't -- talk to Woodward, CNN has learned. Two officials who have spoken directly to the President say he is pleased with the denials offered by chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis.
In Trump's eyes, what makes or breaks aides who are reported to have made disparaging comments about him is how strongly they push back on the accusations. But he is also taking note of the silence from several other former administration officials.
"He wants to know who talked to Woodward," one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity amid the highly tense atmosphere in the West Wing in the wake of the book.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/05/politics/trump-woodward-book-leakers/index.html
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,564 posts)DownriverDem
(6,230 posts)I'd quit if I was in the book.
Ccarmona
(1,180 posts)Since Woodward recorded everything, Shes never met a microphone that she hasnt fallen in love with. And dont forget her husband, he hates Trump and there could have been pillow (yew) talk.
brush
(53,805 posts)yesterday. He taped it as he did with all the other interviews, with trump's permission, and trump wanted to know why Woodward hadn't talked to him while writing the book.
Woodward responded that he had tried to get a sit down with trump by asking six different people in the admin to set it up, and one of them was Conway who he had lunch with. She said she would and would get back to him. She never did.
Guess who pops into trump's office while he was on the phone with Woodward? Conway.
Trump asked her about why she never told him that Woodward wanted to speak with him and she gave a very non-convincing answer that she submitted the request thru channels so she wouldn't be chastised for not going thru proper channels.
Such bullshit, but that's to be expected from her. She talks about going thru channels yet she just popped into trump's office unannounced.
My guess is that she didn't want trump to know she had had lunch with Woodward.
northoftheborder
(7,572 posts)regardless of whether they spoke to Woodward or not. I'm sure the atmosphere is more hellish than usual. They can just stew.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,113 posts)Rump could start a big war today, and would, if someone showed him the benefits to him.
Today, he would.
Today, anybody disagree?
Anybody?
Jedi Guy
(3,238 posts)However, they don't have the ability to overrule him if push comes to shove. All they could do if he kept at it would be to resign in protest.
I could totally see him firing his way through the chain of command until he found someone willing to follow the orders.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)He needs one and that is the biggie.
God help us all if he actually does it.
Martial Law, anyone?
Eliot Rosewater
(31,113 posts)and that they will do them very soon.
When, not if, rump voters are deciding between food and medicine, I wont be able to say told you so because while they take their LAST breath directly as a result of what the GOP did to THEM, they will blame liberals.
BigmanPigman
(51,615 posts)on top of the Woodward book, they are going to be hunting for "leakers" for the next few weeks. This should make them even more unhinged.
redwitch
(14,946 posts)Halloween 🎃 is one of my favorite holidays and it came early!
Gothmog
(145,453 posts)This will help sales
barbtries
(28,808 posts)to add to my stack of trump books. they're coming out faster than i can read them.
Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)matt819
(10,749 posts)Why are McGahn and Kelly still there?
Also, surely the WH can identity sources from the information Woodward provided about who said what in what meetings. Okay, maybe some of those folks are gone. Fair enough. But certainly some are still there. Is it better to be found out and then hounded out, or quit and go public, ome clean.
For some of the younger people, and those not quite in the public eye, if they leave now maybe they can conceal the gap in their resumes. Or be up front with future employers and say they were working as rent boys or prostitutes - it's got to be better than admitting they worked for this regime. I mean, not everyone can be hired by Fox and the RW sinecure industry. But staying for the full four years, if that's how long it goes on, that's a stain that won't come out.
FakeNoose
(32,703 posts)Cheeto already announced that McGahn will leave as soon as Kavanaugh gets approved for SCOTUS.
John Kelly has had his share of rumors, either quitting or being fired.
Who knows why he's still there? Probably has some kind of martyr complex.
Jedi Guy
(3,238 posts)Like him or not, if he sticks it out in order to keep Trump from doing something really over the top (like bombing Iran or North Korea) then he's done his country and the world a service.
I shudder to think of a butt-hurt Trump with no one to hold him back from his vengeful impulses. He's probably asking about the possibility of a drone strike on Woodward. Or at least having him arrested for treason.
matt819
(10,749 posts)But when trump basically calls him a rat bastard, why the hell would he wait until some date in the future to leave and be replaced. You can talk about dedication to the office of the president, but that's bs. Republicans have no loyalty to the office of anything. They hate the government. Since Reagan they've been hearing that the government is the enemy. And even when the government provides stuff they want and need - ACA, for example - they call it evil and destroy it.
And we've heard previous what Kelly has said about trump. But here it is in a book. By Bob Woodward. And somewhere in Woodward's 100s of hours of recordings. Why stay? It's not going to get any better.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)So he a cooperating witness, but Trump did not find out till last week or so....
Kelly many have also met with Mueller, we have no way of knowing until Mueller decides to reveal it.
So both or either of them could have written the opinion piece, and both stayed on as as whistle-blowers.
Naturally Kelly and the others would deny writing the piece, they have no loyalty to Trump.
Kelly has been photographed with "oh my god no" expressions on his face when Trump has said something stupid.
We can;t even be sure that trump's recent tweets where he is supposedly quoting their denial is a real quote, the guy has minus zero credibility.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)Steve Miller, his real boss (Bannon), Kelly A. Conway and Sarah Sanders...
How's that loyalty pledge working out for you dolt45?
HopeAgain
(4,407 posts)I'm sure they chatted it up with Woodward in hopes of getting rid of Bannon...
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)at McCain's funeral? No, this is a couple who depend on daddy to keep them in style. "Ain't it sad, money, money, money..."
NCjack
(10,279 posts)GusBob
(7,286 posts)Just to name a few
Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)As he will be soon
MarvinGardens
(779 posts)then why go on a witch hunt, since Woodward must have made up all the quotes? The witch hunt tells us that the book must be chock full of real quotes.
House of Roberts
(5,179 posts)If that can be accomplished, it's a two-fer. It also discredits the Woodward book.
Mike Nelson
(9,961 posts)
John Kelly and James Mattis both talked to Woodward - their statements are lies. Kelly Ann, mentioned by another poster, is another big leaker.
global1
(25,263 posts)with this book? Is he going to fire them all? He won't have anyone left to work for him.
MSNBC just cut in to the hearings for comments from Trump regarding the book and he's calling it all fake. He must be a great actor because he didn't come off looking like he's being described in some of the posts I've read here today regarding his anger.
barbtries
(28,808 posts)he's the biggest mouth anywhere. also: how at this point does he figure out who are the "loyal" ones?!
chuckle.
SWBTATTReg
(22,154 posts)truthisfreedom
(23,151 posts)duforsure
(11,885 posts)Yet he asked Woodward who the sources were, just like he's done on the Russian investigation , then goes after the sources, contradicting his own claims.
no_hypocrisy
(46,150 posts)edbermac
(15,942 posts)That would be SO FUCKING SWEET if she ratted him out!
aggiesal
(8,921 posts)Woodward has a credibility problem?
I guess not.
(P.S. I refuse to say tweet, with this TWIT in office.)
AndJusticeForSome
(537 posts)Sounded on that recording of Trump's August call to Woodward that he would have "enthusiastically" spoken to Woodward, if *only* someone, anyone, would have told him.
getagrip_already
(14,814 posts)t seems even the cleaning crew (ewww) is talking dirt with the fourth estate. Partly to save their own image.
Midnight Writer
(21,779 posts)riversedge
(70,267 posts)Snellius
(6,881 posts)A beleaguered White House attacked by brown killer aliens and hordes of vengeful black panthers and angry Twitter-driven partisans discovers, in the midst of amassing an army of walking dead and trying to build a huge wall, that the real enemy walks among them. Will they survive?
LakeSuperiorView
(1,533 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Inside Trumps hideous White House.
tclambert
(11,087 posts)Gasp. Maybe Woodward DIDN'T make it up.