EARTH, LANDING ON A DRONE SHIP STATIONED IN THE ATLANTIC.
IT WAS THE COMPANY’S 29th
SUCCESSFUL ROCKET RECOVERY.
>>> NOW, TO THE NEW BOOK THAT IS
SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGH
WASHINGTON AND BEYOND.
"FEAR."
"FEAR." IT PAINTS A WHITE HOUSE WITH
DYSFUNCTION.
DYSFUNCTION. THE PRESIDENT HAS LABELED IT A
SCAM AND A JOKE AND ITS AUTHOR,
BOB WOODWARD, AN IDIOT.
AND BOB IS WITH US NOW.
BOB IS KNOWN BEST OF ALL FOR
"WATERGATE."
"WATERGATE." AND THE PRESIDENT IS UP AND
TWEETING ABOUT YOU THIS MORNING.
THAT’S MAYBE A SUCCESS IN SOME
SENSE.
SENSE. YOU GOT HIS ATTENTION.
>> WELL, BUT THERE’S A WAR ON
TRUTH BY HIM.
AND HE SAYS THESE ARE UNNAMED
SOURCES.
SOURCES. BUT THESE ARE NOT UNNAMED
INCIDENTS.
INCIDENTS. SPECIFIC PEOPLE ON SPECIFIC
DATES.
DATES. THE BOOK OPENING WITH GARY COHN,
THE CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER IN
THE WHITE HOUSE, LIFTING A
DOCUMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT’S
DESK BECAUSE HE -- COHN WORRIES,
AS HE TELLS AN ASSOCIATE, I HAVE
TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY BECAUSE
THIS WILL UNRAVEL A TRADE DEAL,
WHICH WILL JEOPARDIZE ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE
OPERATIONS WE HAVE GOING ON.
AND THE DOCUMENTS REPRINTED IN
THE BOOK THERE, AND THE
PRESIDENT IS SAYING, WELL, IF HE
HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS, HE WOULD
HAVE FIRED GARY COHN IN TWO
SECONDS.
SECONDS. WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE
THE DOCUMENT WAS TAKEN.
>> WE’LL GET TO THE SPECIFICS.
BUT JUST -- YOU KNOW, YOU’VE
BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.
YOU COVERED, I THINK, EIGHT OR
NINE PRESIDENTS.
NINE PRESIDENTS. WERE YOU SHOCKED BY WHAT YOU
UNCOVERED IN THIS BOOK?
>> I’VE NEVER SEEN AN INSTANCE
WHEN THE PRESIDENT IS SO
DETACHED FROM THE REALITY OF
WHAT’S GOING ON.
IN ONE NSC MEETING, A YEAR AFTER
TRUMP WAS IN OFFICE, THE
SECONDARY OF DEFENSE HAS TO TELL
HIM BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT’S
COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THIS MONEY
WE’RE SPENDING ON U.S. FORCES
ABROAD.
ABROAD. JAMES MATTIS SAYS TO HIM, WE’RE
DOING THIS TO PREVENT WORLD WAR
III.
III. NOW, THE IDEA THAT THE SECRETARY
OF DEFENSE HAS TO TELL THE
PRESIDENT THAT ALL OF THESE
ACTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT
THE ULTIMATE CATASTROPHE AND
THEN MATTIS GOES ON AND SAYS,
YOU KNOW, IF WE DON’T KEEP THESE
PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE VERY
SENSITIVE, THE ONLY DETERRENT
OPTION WE HAVE WILL BE THE
NUCLEAR OPTION.
NUCLEAR OPTION. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR PROCESS
A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN
AN ERA WHERE THE PRESIDENT TALKS
ABOUT FAKE NEWS.
HE CALLED THIS FRAUDULENT.
ANYTHING THAT IS UNFLATTERING TO
HIM, HE GENERALLY CALLS FAKE
NEWS.
NEWS. IT IS MOSTLY ANONYMOUS SOURCES
IN HERE.
IN HERE. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE TRUST YOU?
>> BUT THE INCIDENTS ARE NOT
ANONYMOUS.
ANONYMOUS. IT GIVES A DATE.
IT GIVES A TIME.
WHO PARTICIPATES.
WHO PARTICIPATES. MOST OFTEN, THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF AND WHAT HE SAYS.
>> LET ME XWOGO DOWN.
YOU HAVE JOHN KELLY, THE WHITE
HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF CALLING THE
PRESIDENT AN IDIOT.
SAYING WE’RE IN CRAZYTOWN.
THAT’S A QUOTE.
JOHN KELLY SAYS, THAT NEVER
HAPPENED, I DIDN’T SAY IT.
JIM MATTIS, ANOTHER PERSON
QUOTED SAYING THAT THE PRESIDENT
IS A FIFTH OR SIXTH GRADER.
HE SAYS HE DIDN’T SAY IT.
ARE THEY LYING?
>> THEY ARE NOT TELLING THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. >> THAT’S LYING.
>> WELL, LOOKING WHAT’S GOING ON
HERE, MY OLD BOSS AT "THE
WASHINGTON POST," BEN BRADLEE,
THE GREAT EDITOR, USED TO SAY,
THE TRUTH EMERGES.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES TIME.
THESE PEOPLE -- THESE ARE
POLITICAL STATEMENTS TO PROTECT
THEIR JOBS, TOTALLY
UNDERSTANDABLE.
UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT THIS IS AS CAREFULLY DONE AS
YOU CAN DO AN EXCAVATION OF THE
REALITY OF WHAT GOES ON.
>> HAVE YOU EVER DONE ONE OF
THESE BOOKS, KNOW YOU TALKED TO
A SOURCE AND THE SOURCE COMES
OUT PUBLICLY AFTER THE
PUBLICATION AND SAYS, THAT’S NOT
TRUE?
TRUE? >> IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.
>> HAS IT HAPPENED WITH THIS
BOOK?
BOOK? SOMEONE YOU TALKED TO COMES OUT
AND BASICALLY IS LYING.
>> I’M NOT GOING TO -- YOU WANT
TO USE THE LIE WORD.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS FOCUS ON --
YOU KNOW, HERE’S THE PROBLEM.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN TREATED
SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY ENOUGH.
AND THE THINGS THAT -- SOME OF
THE THINGS TRUMP DID, AND DOES,
JEOPARDIZE THE REAL NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. THIS COUNTRY DOES SOME THINGS IN
THE INTELLIGENCE WORLD, WHICH
ARE SO IMPORTANT TO PROTECT THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THEY ARE ASTONISHING.
THEY ARE SECRET.
THEY ARE CALLED SPECIAL ACCESS
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. AND HE JEOPARDIZES THEM.
THEY JEOPARDIZES THE POSITION IN
THE ECONOMY, BY DOING THINGS
THAT EXPERTS, YOU KNOW, 99.9% OF
THE PEOPLE SAY, DON’T DO
TARIFFS.
TARIFFS. IT DOESN’T WORK.
HE’S GOT IT IN HIS HEAD, WHEN
PEOPLE CHALLENGE HIM, HE’LL SAY,
OH, I’VE HAD THOSE IDEAS FOR 30
YEARS.
YEARS. YOU’RE WRONG.
YOU’RE WRONG. >> WHAT’S THE PORTRAIT THAT
EMERGES HERE?
EMERGES HERE? WHAT ARE YOUR CONCLUSIONS BASED
ON YOUR REPORTING BASED ON THE
PRESIDENT?
PRESIDENT? IS HE UNWILLING TO DO WHAT HE’S
SUPPOSED TO DO IN OFFICE?
IS HE INCAPABLE?
YOU CHIP AROUND THE EDGES OF
SUGGESTING SOME KIND OF ALMOST
COGNITIVE DECLINE.
COGNITIVE DECLINE. WHAT’S YOUR ASSESSMENT?
>> LOOK, MY JOB HERE IS NOT TO
PSYCHO
PSYCHO PSYCHOANALYZE
PSYCHOANALYZE PSYCHOANALYZE.
PSYCHOANALYZE. IT’S TO WHAT HAPPENED ON
SPECIFIC DATES IN SPECIFIC
MOMENTS.
MOMENTS. AND THE PEOPLE -- LOOK, THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO TALK,
ARE PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE, PEOPLE
OF COURAGE, PEOPLE WHO SAID,
LOOK, THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW
THIS.
THIS. IF YOU DON’T THINK IT’S RISKY
FOR SOMEBODY TO ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS AND GIVE IN THE REAL
DETAILS, IT IS.
AND THEY’RE WILLING TO TAKE THAT
RISK BECAUSE, AS GARY COHN SAID,
GOT TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF ANECDOTES,
FEATURING JOHN DOWD THE
PRESIDENT’S FORMER LAWYER.
YOU GO INSIDE THE ROOM OF THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION AND DOWD’S
MEETINGS WITH ROBERT MUELLER AND
HIS STAFF.
HIS STAFF. AT ONE POINT, YOU WRITE THAT
DOWD WAS AWARE THAT HE HAD
ILLUSTRATED TO THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS,
QUOTE, CLEARLY DISABLED.
WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT?
>> YOU WORKED FOR JOHN DOWD.
>> I DID.
>> I DID. >> DOES THIS RING TRUE?
>> I’M ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
>> CAN I ASK THAT QUESTION?
DOES IT RING TRUE?
>> YOU CAN’T PUT ME ON THE SPOT.
I DID WORK FOR JOHN DOWD AS A
LAWYER 15 YEARS AGO.
AND THERE IS A LOT IN THERE THAT
RINGS TRUE IN THE WAY HE SPEAKS
AND THAT KIND OF THING.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST.
>> I DON’T WANT TO BE A WITNESS
IN THE CASE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU THE QUESTIONS.
>> FAIR ENOUGH.
BUT ALL OF THAT HAPPENED AND
WHAT DOWD CONCLUDES IN THE END
IS, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN’T
TESTIFY BECAUSE HE CAN’T TELL
THE TRUTH.
THE TRUTH. >> THAT’S WHAT HE MEANS BY
CLEARLY DISABLED.
CLEARLY DISABLED. IT’S AN INABILITY TO TELL THE
TRUTH IN DOWD’S VIEW.
>> AND HE HAS A PRACTICE SESSION
WITH THE PRESIDENT ON JANUARY
27th OF THIS YEAR, IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. THEY’RE LOOKING OUT ON TO THE
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON
MONUMENT.
MONUMENT. AND DOWD SAYS, I’M GOING TO PLAY
MUELLER.
MUELLER. AND THEY DO THE ROLE PLAYING.
AND THE PRESIDENT GOES
BALLISTIC, IS NOT UNDER CONTROL.
AND DOWD SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU
CAN’T DO THIS.
YOU ARE NOT A GOOD WITNESS.
AND HIS CONCLUSION, DOWD’S
CONCLUSION IN THE END IS, THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS AN "F’ing LIAR.
>> ROB PORTER, THE STAFF
SECRETARY THAT WAS FORCED OUT
AMID CONTROVERSY, SAID AT ONE
POINT, THIS WAS NO LONGER A
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. THIS WAS NO LONGER A WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. THIS IS A MAN BEING WHO HE IS.
>> THIS IS AFTER THE
CHARLOTTESVILLE INCIDENT.
CHARLOTTESVILLE INCIDENT. AND I GO INTO THAT, IN GREAT
DETAIL.
DETAIL. AND THE PRESIDENT GAVE A VERY
SOOTHING SPEECH TO THE COUNTRY.
AND PORTER WORKED WITH HIM ON
THAT.
THAT. AND THEN, THE PRESIDENT TUNES
INTO FOX AND THEY’RE SAYING, OH,
LOOK, HE’S MAKING A COURSE
CORRECTION.
CORRECTION. AND THE PRESIDENT GOES BANANAS
AND SAYS, THAT’S THE DUMBEST
SPEECH I’VE EVER GIVEN, TAKING
IT BACK.
IT BACK. AND GOES OUT AND REAFFIRMS THAT
THE PROBLEM IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
IS BOTH SIDES.
AND PORTER’S CONCLUSION IS, THIS
REPAIR -- THIS NECESSARY RACIAL
REPAIR IS -- IT CAN’T BE DONE.
IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> BRIEFLY, BEFORE I LET YOU GO,
OBVIOUSLY, SINCE YOUR BOOK IS
COMING OUT, WE HAVE "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" OP-ED, AN ANONYMOUS
WRITER WHO SAYS THIS, IS A
SENIOR OFFICIAL INSIDE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. I WANT TO ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY
SUSPECTS.
SUSPECTS. >> I DON’T HAVE ANY SUSPECTS.
>> DID YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE
SOMEONE I ALSO HAVE TALKED TO?
>> NO,.NO, I DIDN’T.
THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO I
INSISTED BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT
THE INCIDENTS, EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. AND AS I’VE SAID, I THINK THIS
IS IMPORTANT, THE BUILDING
BLOCKS OF JOURNALISM ARE
SPECIFIC EVENTS.
SPECIFIC EVENTS. WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY, WHO
SAID WHAT.
SAID WHAT. AND THIS IS A VOLUME OF TRUMP
TALKING AND ACTING AND DECIDING.
>> AS I UNDERSTAND IT, MOST OF
YOUR INTERVIEWS, YOU RECORDED,
AS WELL.
AS WELL. >> YES.
>> YES. >> BOB WOODWARD, THANK YOU SO