Trump: It’s really too bad, because nobody told me about it, and I would’ve loved to have spoken to you. You know I’m very open to you. I think you’ve always been fair. We’ll see what happens. But all I can say is the country is doing very well. We’re doing better economically just about than at any time. We’re doing better on unemployment maybe than ever. You know, I mean, if you look at the unemployment numbers, you’ve heard me say it. And we’re doing better on unemployment than just about ever. We’re having a lot of — a lot of companies are moving back into our country, which would’ve been unheard of two years ago. If the other administration or representatives of it had kept going, had kept — you know, if the other group had won, I will tell you, that you would have, I think you’d have a GDP of less than zero. I think we would’ve been going in the wrong direction. Because regulations are such a big part of what we’ve done, Bob.<doc-sep>(CNN) — President Donald Trump called journalist Bob Woodward on August 14, apparently because the President was alarmed by reports that Woodward is publishing a new book about him. Woodward recorded the call with Trump’s permission and CNN obtained a full transcript of the conversation. The Washington Post first reported on the 11-minute call. Here is the transcript:<doc-sep>WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump announces his decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room at the White House May 8, 2018 in Washington, DC. After two and a half years of negotiations, Iran agreed in 2015 to end its nuclear program in exchange for Western countries, including the United States, lifting decades of economic sanctions. Since then international inspectors have not found any violations of the terms by Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (CNN) — Last month, President Donald Trump called The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward. Trump had heard Woodward was working on a book and called to ask why Woodward had never reached out to him. Woodward told Trump he had repeatedly tried to reach him through official and unofficial channels and been rebuffed. He also informed the President that the book – “Fear: Trump in the White House” – was done (it comes out on September 11) and that Trump was too late. Woodward also recorded the conversation – and informed Trump he was doing so. The transcript of the call, which the Post released earlier Tuesday, is, um, wild. I picked out the most fascinating parts of the call. They’re below. 1. “It’s really too bad, because nobody told me about it, and I would’ve loved to have spoken to you. You know I’m very open to you. I think you’ve always been fair.” Trump is right – Woodward is fair – but the President saying this on tape(!) makes what undoubtedly will be the White House’s attempt to discredit Woodward that much tougher. Also, it becomes clear time and time again in this phone call that people – including White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham – did talk to Trump (or his scheduling team) about sitting down with Woodward, even if the President says he didn’t know it. 2. “Madeleine is the key. She’s the secret. Because she’s the person….” Trump is talking about Madeleine Westerhout, his personal assistant. And her being “the key” is no longer much of a secret. 3. “Well, a lot of them are afraid to come and talk, or – you know, they are busy. I’m busy. But I don’t mind talking to you. I would’ve spoken to you.” The President of the United States is acknowledging that many of his aides are afraid of him! That. Is. Nuts. Also, Trump reiterates here that he would have been more than happy to talk to Woodward. 4. “And I certainly don’t mind talking to you, and I wish I could’ve spoken to you. But nobody called my office. I mean, you went through, I guess, different people. …” Put a pin in this. We’ll come back to it. 5. “Who were the senators? No, they never called me about it. … Senator Graham actually mentioned it quickly in one meeting.” In between Trump saying no senator mentioned it and him admitting Graham mentioned it comes this line from Woodward: “Senator Graham said he had talked to you about talking to me. Now, is that not true?” What happened is this: Trump made a sweeping statement. Woodward called him on it with a fact. Trump acknowledged his previous statement (seconds before) was inaccurate. Good times. (Also, see No. 4.) 6. “So I have another bad book coming out. Big deal.” This can be read either as false bravado (Trump is trying to convince Woodward that nothing can really hurt him with his supporters) or actual bravado (Trump is convinced that nothing can really hurt him with his supporters). I’m honestly not sure which it is. 7. “I mean, you do know I’m doing a great job for the country. You do know that NATO now is going to pay billions and billions of dollars more, as an example, than anybody thought possible, that other presidents were unable to get more?” This line from Trump comes DIRECTLY after Woodward describes the way in which he used sources and described meeting in the White House. It’s almost as if Trump turned on some sort of autopilot function. Because in the context of the conversation, the decision to tout your work on NATO makes a total of 0% sense. 8. “Well, other than Lindsey [Graham], who did quickly mention it, nobody mentioned it.” Um, no. Scroll down. (Also, see No. 4.) 9. “Nobody told me about it. Well, let me ask her. Why don’t you speak to Kellyanne. Ask her. She never told me about it.” Trump hands the phone to Conway at this point. (I told you this was an amazing phone call!) Conway, with Trump listening, says this: “I put in the request. But you know, they – it was rejected. I can only take it so far. I guess I can bring it right to the president next time.” Then she adds: “I try to follow all the protocols, or else I’m accused of being somebody who doesn’t follow protocol.” Conway’s shade here at the team who handles Trump interview requests is truly epic. Look, I asked. They said no. Talk to them. 10. “If you would’ve called directly – a lot of people are afraid … Raj, I hardly have … I don’t speak to Raj.” Raj Shah is the principal deputy communications director at the White House. He’s running point for the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. He’s also likely had better days than today. 11. “She should’ve come to me. She does have access to me. Absolutely. She has direct access, but she didn’t come to me.” That thud was Trump pushing Conway under the bus while on a taped phone conversation with a political reporter. 12. “I’m just hearing about it. And I heard – I did hear from Lindsey, but I’m just hearing about it. So we’re going to have a very inaccurate book, and that’s too bad. But I don’t blame you entirely.” Here’s where you begin to see Trump formulating what will be his spin about “Fear.” I didn’t even know about the book.<doc-sep>When renowned Washington Post editor Bob Woodward was doing research for his forthcoming book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," the author tried repeatedly to speak directly with President Donald Trump. The interview never happened. But in a taped phone call from early August, released on Tuesday, Trump blamed White House staff, saying they failed to tell him about the requests, even as the president admitted that he knew Woodward had asked for an interview. "Nobody called my office," Trump told Woodward during the call, as the president struggled to explain why the author was never granted an interview. "It's really too bad, because nobody told me about it, and I would've loved to have spoken to you," Trump said, according to a tape of the phone call obtained by The Washington Post. Over the course of nearly 12 minutes, Trump repeatedly claimed that he would have liked to have spoken to Woodward but that the reason he never did was simply that he never knew Woodward was trying to reach him. Yet during that same call, Trump admitted that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told him that Woodward had been trying to reach him for an interview. He also told Woodward, "you know I'm very open to you. I think you've always been fair,." Given Woodward's stature as one of the country's foremost presidential biographers, it seems unlikely that, for more than two months, no one in the White House mentioned to the president that Woodward wanted to interview him. The phone call did not provide real answers as to what exactly happened to Woodward's requests. But it did provide a window into the breakdown of key parts of the chain of command in the West Wing in recent months. The chaos in the White House has been exacerbated by the president's reported decision to sideline his chief of staff, John Kelly, and his decision to act as his own de facto White House communications director following the departure of Hope Hicks, his most trusted aide, in March. The bizarre phone call between Trump and Woodward also seemed to illustrate the portrait of the Trump White House that is emerging from excerpts of Woodward's book. "Fear" paints a picture of Trump as an uncontrollable and unstable leader, whose closest aides, including Kelly, consider him to be a pathological liar and a threat to national security. The book, to be released Sept. 11, also describes how top White House officials reportedly disparaged the president, undermined his policy directives, and even removed documents from his desk to keep him from signing them.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — President Donald Trump called journalist Bob Woodward on August 14, CNN has learned, apparently because the President was alarmed by reports that Woodward is publishing a new book about him. Woodward recorded the call with Trump’s permission and CNN obtained a full transcript of the conversation. The Washington Post first reported on the 11-minute call. Trump has been complimentary of Woodward in the past, and initially his manner was friendly. Woodward explained that he’s disappointed Trump didn’t sit down for an interview for the book and said he put in several requests. At first, Trump said he didn’t know anything about it. “It’s really too bad, because nobody told me about it,” Trump said. “You know I’m very open to you. I think you’ve always been fair.” Woodward then told the President he requested an interview through about six people, including aides and Republican senators. “I’m sorry we missed the opportunity to talk for the book,” Woodward said, later adding, “I maximized my effort.” “They don’t tell me,” Trump replied, indicating no one relayed the request. But within a few minutes, Trump changed his story. An extraordinary exchange followed as Trump asked Woodward to name the people he contacted. “I talked to Kellyanne (Conway) about it two-and-a-half months ago,” Woodward responded, saying he discussed the book with the White House counselor over lunch. Woodward also said he put in a request through White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah, but never heard back. “Well, a lot of them are afraid to come and talk – or, you know, they are busy. I’m busy,” Trump answered. After several more minutes, including a long tangent from the President taking credit for the strong economy, Trump asked, “Who were the senators?” “Sen. (Lindsey) Graham said he had talked to you about talking to me,” Woodward replied, then asked, “Now, is that not true?” In an about-face, Trump then made a critical admission: “Senator Graham actually mentioned it quickly in one meeting,” he said. “That is true. That is true.” Woodward explained his method of reporting to Trump, including meeting with White House sources and getting documentation. Then, he told the President directly that the book is “a tough look at the world and your administration and you.” Trump began to bristle but tried to joke. “Well, I assume that means it’s going to be a negative book,” he said. “But you know, I’m sort of 50% used to that.” As the conversation continued, Trump revealed Conway had walked into the Oval Office. He put her on the phone with Woodward. “Why don’t you speak to Kellyanne. Ask her. She never told me about it,” Trump said. Conway acknowledged, “I put in the request. But you know, they – it was rejected. I can only take it so far.” It was a surreal moment, since Conway has direct access to the President. “I presented it to the people here who make those decisions, but …” Conway added. “Who are the people?” Woodward interrupted. Conway didn’t answer. “Anyway, I’ll give you back to the President.” Trump got back on the phone and complained that Woodward didn’t contact him directly. “It would’ve been nice, Bob, if you called for me, in my office. I mean, I have a secretary. I have two, three secretaries.” Woodward repeated that he made multiple requests, as Trump’s annoyance appeared to increase. “We’re going to have a very inaccurate book, and that’s too bad,” Trump said. Woodward immediately responded, “No, it’s going to be accurate, I promise.” “Yeah, OK,” Trump replied. “Well, accurate is that nobody’s ever done a better job than I’m doing as President. That I can tell you. So that’s – And that’s the way a lot of people feel that know what’s going on, and you’ll see that over the years. But a lot of people feel that, Bob.” “I believe in our country,” Woodward said. “And because you’re our President, I wish you good luck.” “OK,” Trump concluded. “Thank you very much, Bob. I appreciate it. Bye.” Woodward’s book relies on hundreds of hours of taped confidential background interviews and dozens of sources in Trump’s inner circle, as well as documents, files, diaries and memos, including a note handwritten by Trump himself. Woodward’s reporting brings a credibility that distinguishes this book from previous efforts on Trump. The author and Washington Post journalist has won two Pulitzer Prizes, including one for his coverage of the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.