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Among the news of Bob Woodward's upcoming book, US President Donald Trump and other White House officials criticized the journalist.
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI
WASHINGTON – The photo Bob Woodward paints in his new book of a White House, where key collaborators engage in an "administrative coup" to block the most dangerous impulses of President Donald Trump, rarely includes his vice-president .
"As usual, (Vice President Mike) Pence was staying out," writes the Washington Post reporter. "Fear: Trump at the White House."
This particular observation was made about one of the attempts of economic counselor Gary Cohn to get help from Pence. Trying to prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum, Cohn reminded Pence that no state would be harder than his native state, # 39; Indiana.
The state of Elkhart, the world capital of boats and recreational vehicles, would be the country that would consume the most manufactured goods, Cohn said.
"Do everything I can," Pence told Cohn, according to the book.
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But Woodward writes that Pence's default mode is to do nothing that might make Trump tweet about him or call him an idiot.
"If he's advising Pence," Woodward adds, "Cohn would have done just that – stay out of this."
Pence seems to have done his best to stay out of Woodward's book.
Pence was also largely absent from Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House".
"There has been little leakage on the Pence side of the White House," writes Wolff in his January book, which similarly describes a chaotic and dysfunctional administration.
Vice President Mike Pence described Bob Woodward's book as "a complete misunderstanding of how this White House works." (Photo: AP)
The few appearances that Pence makes in Woodward 's book are in scenes with others that have probably provided the details. For example:
- Pence was among the oval office participants when Trump, in April 2017, said he wanted to sign in a few days an executive decree removing the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement. According to Woodward, Pence was among those who were "silent and only seemed to be encouraging Trump".
- After the Washington Post reported in February 2017 that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had discussed sanctions against Russia with the Russian ambassador – contrary to what Flynn had said to Pence – the vice president joined Donald McGahn's Situation Room to review the FBI's transcripts of Flynn's communications. But the book does not say how Pence reacted to this revelation.
- When Cohn wanted to resign after Trump's reluctance to condemn white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, Pence helped Trump convince him to stay. The president did not want Cohn to leave until the Congress finished a package of tax cuts. Trump gave Cohn permission to talk about Charlottesville, which Pence also encouraged at the Oval Office meeting and again in Cohn's office. "Say what you need and want to say, and continue to serve your country," Woodward said in his message.
- Pence was ready to serve his party by replacing Trump on the ticket after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape in which Trump boasted of groping women, according to the book. L & # 39; Atlantic Last year, Pence told the Republican National Committee that he was ready to take Trump's place as party candidate. Both this article and Woodward's book state that Priebus told Trump that Pence was ready to join Condoleezza Rice as a running mate if Trump retired. Pence's spokesperson has already denied this account.
On Sunday, Pence described Woodward's book as "a complete misunderstanding of how this White House works."
Trump called it "a joke … using anonymous and anonymous unproven sources".
President Donald Trump calls the book of journalist Bob Woodward a fictional book. (September 5th)
AP
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