I suppose the Woodward Book could have been more damning

[Jimmy Higgins]

From reporting on the Woodward book, at no point in the Woodward book does it seem to indicate Trump didn't care if Americans die.

I think that sums up the positive reflections on Trump in the book. It is damning, very damning. It provides direct quote information about how Trump knew the threat and while he indicates he was trying to shield Americans from panic, did almost nothing to deal with the threat, like stockpiling PPE and working with states to have a synchronized plan.

While at the surface, Trump knew the dangers, he told America it was all under control, while his Administration did nothing to get it under control.

It seems the equivalence would be if George W. Bush was told that terrorists were leaving to head to the US and were going to strike using planes... and doing nothing about it.

 

[southernhybrid]

From the WaPo article.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bob-woodward-rage-book-trump/2020/09/09/0368fe3c-efd2-11ea-b4bc-3a2098fc73d4_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_woodward-1210p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

The WaPo page is so busy right now, that it might take awhile to load the link.

Still, I wonder if this will matter to the Trump losers. MSNBC has been playing a few of the recorded lines of the interview. Supposedly, this is the first time ever that Bob Woodward has released any tapes of his interviews. That's how serious he thinks this is.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Meanwhile, people are rushing around to find Kayleigh McEnany, who people fear might have suffered a stroke after reading what Donald Trump had told Woodward. An odd cackling could be heard coming from the home of Sean Spicer.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Woodward quotes Gen. Mattis as saying to DNI Coats: "True. To him, a lie is not a lie. It’s just what he thinks. He doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie."

 

[ideologyhunter]

I disagree with that assessment. Trump knows full well when he's lying. It's not that he doesn't know the difference between truth and lies, it's that he doesn't care, and he's discovered that his sensationalistic lies have been very successful in the past. When he said that his Birther investigators were in Hawaii and "you won't believe what they're finding out," he was flat out, knowingly lying, and he followed up with five years of lying on that theme. When he told Laura Ingraham last month about a planeload of "thugs" dressed all in black, out to do Deep State dirty work, he was (say it with me) lying, and when she pressed him for specifics on where the flight originated, he responded quickly, like an old time carnival huckster, "I'll tell you sometime. It's under investigation."
His pattern of pure projection lets you know what he fears most about his own limitations, and "Lyin' Ted" and "Crooked Hillary" got the nicknames that he himself has most richly earned. Trump is dumb about a lot of stuff, because he's to lazy to acquire any disciplined knowledge on any subject. But he knows how to hold a crowd, and he certainly knows his own brand of bullshit.

 

[Elixir]

... he [Trump] was trying to shield Americans from panic, did almost nothing to deal with the threat... knew the dangers, he told America it was all under control, while his Administration did nothing to get it under control.

Give me panic or give me death?
No, it was not about preventing panic, except insofar as that would have been bad for his "numbers" that week, and the low-IQ dullard can't see past the end of his orange nose.
So he saved a few points off his disapproval rating for that moment, and 140,000 (est, and counting) Americans died as a result.

That fucker should be locked up, tried for treason, and executed if found guilty of doing what every first hand witness says he did.

 

[lpetrich]

Titled link: Bob Woodward book: In Trump interviews for 'Rage,' president says he downplayed coronavirus threat - The Washington Post

Trump knew that it was much worse than what he said in public about it.

“Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states,” Woodward writes. “There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize a massive enterprise to deal with one of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced.”

They also got into race relations.

In another conversation, on June 19, Woodward asked the president about White privilege, noting that they were both White men of the same generation who had privileged upbringings. Woodward suggested that they had a responsibility to better “understand the anger and pain” felt by Black Americans.

“No,” Trump replied, his voice described by Woodward as mocking and incredulous. “You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all.”

As Woodward pressed Trump to understand the plight of Black Americans after generations of discrimination, inequality and other atrocities, the president kept answering by pointing to economic numbers such as the pre-pandemic unemployment rate for Blacks and claiming, as he often has publicly, that he has done more for Blacks than any president except perhaps Abraham Lincoln.

In another conversation about race, on July 8, Trump complained about his lack of support among Black voters. “I’ve done a tremendous amount for the Black community,” he told Woodward. “And, honestly, I’m not feeling any love.”

Showing yet again what a narcissist he is. He thinks that he is super great and he is angry at anyone who does not think that about him.

Trump shared with Woodward visceral reactions to several prominent Democrats of color. Upon seeing a shot of Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, now the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, calmly and silently watching him deliver his State of the Union address, Trump remarked: “Hate! See the hate! See the hate!” Trump used the same phrase after an expressionless Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared in the frame.

Yet more narcissism. Angry at these women for not adoring him.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Titled link: Bob Woodward book: In Trump interviews for 'Rage,' president says he downplayed coronavirus threat - The Washington Post

Trump knew that it was much worse than what he said in public about it.

And in a March 9th Tweet, he is addamently against a shutdown. We could be close to 1 million dead if he got his way. This seems to put the likes of Dewine and Hogan on higher pedestals because clearly, Trump was willing to let it happen.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Meanwhile rubber spined Romney gave us this.

Regarding Trump's plan to downplay (that is an understatement) the threat of the virus publicly...

It doesn’t sound ideal to me.

Blow me down that with judgement.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

We distort, you imply. Leading stories from the Reich Wing Propaganda Media

Fox News: White House responds as critics seize on audio of Trump saying he downplayed COVID to avoid 'panic'

That has got to be the loosest grammar I've ever read.

OANN: Portland Police Dept. Spending Records Show 200% Increase In Overtime Pay For Officers This Year

*spit take*

Breitbart: Dr. Anthony Fauci Defends Trump on Coronavirus I Don’t Think He Ever Distorted Things’

Apparently calling it a "hoax" isn't a distortion.

Newsmax: Trump Releasing New Supreme Court Nominee List

*scratches head*


Early comments from the Trump faithful is 'we need the whole tape'. This isn't in context. These fucking idiots can't put 1 and 1 together.

 

[TV and credit cards]

I disagree with that assessment. Trump knows full well when he's lying. It's not that he doesn't know the difference between truth and lies, it's that he doesn't care, and he's discovered that his sensationalistic lies have been very successful in the past. When he said that his Birther investigators were in Hawaii and "you won't believe what they're finding out," he was flat out, knowingly lying, and he followed up with five years of lying on that theme. When he told Laura Ingraham last month about a planeload of "thugs" dressed all in black, out to do Deep State dirty work, he was (say it with me) lying, and when she pressed him for specifics on where the flight originated, he responded quickly, like an old time carnival huckster, "I'll tell you sometime. It's under investigation."
His pattern of pure projection lets you know what he fears most about his own limitations, and "Lyin' Ted" and "Crooked Hillary" got the nicknames that he himself has most richly earned. Trump is dumb about a lot of stuff, because he's to lazy to acquire any disciplined knowledge on any subject. But he knows how to hold a crowd, and he certainly knows his own brand of bullshit.

We all know Trump's lying but does Trump? I wonder if Trump simply can not differentiate between his stream of consciousness and reality.

 

[lpetrich]

More from the WaPo about "Rage":

Trump was dismissive about former president Barack Obama and told Woodward he was inclined to refer to him by his first and middle names, “Barack Hussein,” but wouldn’t in his company, to be “very nice.”

“I don’t think Obama’s smart,” Trump told Woodward. “I think he’s highly overrated. And I don’t think he’s a great speaker.” Trump added that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un thought Obama was “an asshole.”

Trump has some big grudge against Barack Obama.

Then Trump on Kim Jong-un. KJU flattered him, and Trump fell for his flattery.

Trump reflected on his relationships with authoritarian leaders generally, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “It’s funny, the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them,” he told Woodward. “You know? Explain that to me someday, okay?”

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis:

Mattis quietly went to Washington National Cathedral to pray about his concern for the nation’s fate under Trump’s command and, according to Woodward, told Coats, “There may come a time when we have to take collective action” since Trump is “dangerous. He’s unfit.”

In a separate conversation recounted by Woodward, Mattis told Coats, “The president has no moral compass,” to which the director of national intelligence replied: “True. To him, a lie is not a lie. It’s just what he thinks. He doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie.”

Trump returned the negative assessments:

The loathing was mutual. “Not to mention my fucking generals are a bunch of pussies. They care more about their alliances than they do about trade deals,” Trump told White House trade adviser Peter Navarro at one point, according to Woodward.

 

[lpetrich]

Fauci at one point tells others that the president “is on a separate channel” and unfocused in meetings, with “rudderless” leadership, according to Woodward. “His attention span is like a minus number,” Fauci said, according to Woodward. “His sole purpose is to get reelected.”

Seems like Trump has close to zero conscientiousness.

Also, he seems to want the position without being willing to do any of the work of it.

I'm reminded of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Let me tell you a story about Chairman @RepCummings. ..." / Twitter

Let me tell you a story about Chairman @RepCummings.

Before new members are assigned to Congressional committees, we have to make our case to the chair.

Chairman Cummings was TOUGH. I sat down in his office to make my case for Oversight, and I was quite nervous.

He looked right at me & said: “I am going to ask you plainly: Are you here to do the work?”

People’s lives are at stake in urgent ways on Oversight. He demanded excellence, & was watching my every word.

I said “Yes” &made my best case incl why & how I wanted to be on the cmte.

By the end of the mtg, I had no idea if I made the cut.

If you look at Oversight, it includes many all-stars of Congress.

From @RepRaskin to @RoKhanna, Cummings is a legendary coach who brings the best out of everyone.

He makes the country better. You want to be on his team.

How might Trump have fared in such an interview? He'd likely respond to "Are you here to do the work?" with "I'm the greatest worker, I'm a super worker, I'd be super good at doing the work."

Then the committee head might ask about what Trump did about his business bankruptcies. Trump must have wanted to know what went wrong in them. But I doubt that Trump would give a coherent answer, other than maintain that those bankruptcies were not his fault.

 

[lpetrich]

Finally,

Woodward writes that Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) suggested former president George W. Bush speak personally with Trump about global vaccine efforts, but that Bush demurred.

“No. No,” Bush told Graham, according to Woodward. “He’d misconstrue anything I said.”

In their final interview, on July 21, Trump vented to Woodward: “The virus has nothing to do with me. It’s not my fault.”

Bob Woodward book 'Rage:' Trump admits to concealing true threat of coronavirus - CNNPolitics

President Donald Trump admitted he knew weeks before the first confirmed US coronavirus death that the virus was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and "more deadly than even your strenuous flus," and that he repeatedly played it down publicly, according to legendary journalist Bob Woodward in his new book "Rage."

"This is deadly stuff," Trump told Woodward on February 7.

In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump revealed that he had a surprising level of detail about the threat of the virus earlier than previously known. "Pretty amazing," Trump told Woodward, adding that the coronavirus was maybe five times "more deadly" than the flu.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

And now we are getting stories of how Dr. Fauci was muzzled by the Trump administration, repeatedly.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

So is this ‘quit’ sort of news? Does the GOP finally say this has gone too far or does Trump have dirt on them all?

 

[Keith&Co.]

So is this ‘quit’ sort of news? Does the GOP finally say this has gone too far or does Trump have dirt on them all?

Well, they haven't read the transcripts, so thry can ignore quotes tssken 'out of context' and there's no need for change.

 

[Elixir]

So is this ‘quit’ sort of news? Does the GOP finally say this has gone too far or does Trump have dirt on them all?

Of course Trump has dirt on them all. They supported an outright traitor as President, and bowed to his every illegal wish and whim.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I disagree with that assessment. Trump knows full well when he's lying. It's not that he doesn't know the difference between truth and lies, it's that he doesn't care, and he's discovered that his sensationalistic lies have been very successful in the past. When he said that his Birther investigators were in Hawaii and "you won't believe what they're finding out," he was flat out, knowingly lying, and he followed up with five years of lying on that theme. When he told Laura Ingraham last month about a planeload of "thugs" dressed all in black, out to do Deep State dirty work, he was (say it with me) lying, and when she pressed him for specifics on where the flight originated, he responded quickly, like an old time carnival huckster, "I'll tell you sometime. It's under investigation."
His pattern of pure projection lets you know what he fears most about his own limitations, and "Lyin' Ted" and "Crooked Hillary" got the nicknames that he himself has most richly earned. Trump is dumb about a lot of stuff, because he's to lazy to acquire any disciplined knowledge on any subject. But he knows how to hold a crowd, and he certainly knows his own brand of bullshit.

We all know Trump's lying but does Trump? I wonder if Trump simply can not differentiate between his stream of consciousness and reality.

That is what I have been thinking for quite some time. He's not lying because he doesn't know that what he's saying isn't the truth. Of course that's clearly in 25th amendment territory but the GOP doesn't care.

 

[ZiprHead]

... he [Trump] was trying to shield Americans from panic, did almost nothing to deal with the threat... knew the dangers, he told America it was all under control, while his Administration did nothing to get it under control.

Give me panic or give me death?
No, it was not about preventing panic, except insofar as that would have been bad for his "numbers" that week, and the low-IQ dullard can't see past the end of his orange nose.
So he saved a few points off his disapproval rating for that moment, and 140,000 (est, and counting) Americans died as a result.

That fucker should be locked up, tried for treason, and executed if found guilty of doing what every first hand witness says he did.

Trump didn't mind inducing panic about MS-13 and migrant caravans south of the border and mexican rapists and drug runners and crime coming to the suburbs.