Forget the Book. Read the Transcript. - By Josh Marshall

[DonViejo]

September 4, 2018 2:22 pm

A short time ago The Washington Post published a transcript of an August 14th, 2018 call between President Trump and Bob Woodward. The call is from Trump. After months of refusing an interview with Woodward for his book, suddenly he wants to do one – even though the book is already at the printer.

I wouldn’t say that I felt sorry for Trump reading the transcript. But it’s a deeply awkward read. Trump’s angle is that he would have been happy to talk to Woodward for the book. But Woodward never asked. No one ever told him. Over the course of the interview it becomes clear that Woodward has asked basically every senior member of the President’s communications team: Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Raj Shah, et al. He even asked Lindsey Graham – Trump’s new best bud – to talk to the President on his behalf.

Trump does admit that Graham had mentioned it to him. It’s the only point he concedes. But no one else ever said anything.

It gets even more awkward when at one point Trump calls over Kellyanne Conway and puts her on the phone. Woodward presses her. We talked. Why didn’t you tell the President? There’s some shambling hemming and hawing about following protocol and well she did the best she could. And it’s all in the past now so … bye, Bob! Great talking to you.

Here’s the actual portion of the transcript where Conway comes on.

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https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/forget-the-book-read-the-transcript

[Lucinda]

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