CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

Trump to Woodward: ‘Sounds Like This Is Going to Be a Bad One’

In recording of phone call, president gets cornered about missed interview and laments “another bad book coming out.”

In an audio recording and transcript of a phone call between journalist Bob Woodward and Donald Trump, the president lamented the fact that a another negative book would be released about his administration. In the audio from The Washington Post, Woodward told the president that his upcoming book, Fear, would be “a tough look at the world and your administration and you.” Trump responded that the book sounded like it was “going to be a bad one.” Woodward then told the president that he “made every effort” to reach out to him while the book was being written, including reaching out to White House staffers Kellyanne Conway and Raj Shah, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Conway had apparently had a lunch with Woodward but the message was not relayed to Trump. Trump said he remembered Graham mentioning Woodward’s request to him in a meeting, and told Woodward that Shah had no access to him. “Raj, I hardly have... I don’t speak to Raj,” Trump told Woodward. Woodward also briefly described to the president his sourcing methods for the book, patching in his assistant Evelyn Duffy at one point to confirm that she transcribed “hundreds of hours” of interview tapes of individuals who worked in the White House and other offices. “So I have another bad book coming out. Big deal,” Trump remarked later in the call.