Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Now We Know What the President Knew

If anyone still believes the president and his allies are playing some kind of 3-D political chess where every move is plotted, the publication of this book should finally put that idea to rest. Sure, no president can resist the lure of the legendary Mr. Woodward. But past administrations heavily managed their interactions with him, knowing his track record for unflattering portrayals. Certainly, they didnt free associate in recorded late-night chat sessions.
Yet, even Mr. Woodward doesnt escape this political moment unscathed.
The renowned journalist is a totem of the Washington establishment. He believes in the lofty ideals of the post-Watergate era that his most famous reporting helped usher into our politics. Like character. And leadership. And ethics.
That is neither this time nor this president. The debatesurrounding whether Mr. Woodward should have disclosed Mr. Trumps admissions earlier, given the pain of the virus and the erratic nature of the president he was covering, is valid.
But Mr. Woodward must grapple with larger questions about his worldview, as well.
As my Times colleague Jennifer Szalai wrote in her review of the book, the 77-year-old reporter is rooted in an old-school establishment that asks of the president windy, high-minded questions like What are your priorities? as they flatter those around him for information.
When everything is burning, perhaps the questions need to be more basic. Is it wrong to withhold information as hundreds of thousands of Americans die? And what responsibility for those deaths is borne by those who enable Mr. Trumps behavior?
We dont know how or when this fire will burn out. Or whether anything resembling Mr. Woodwards Washington will be left in the ashes.read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *