There is a book that just came out in January 2018, with a lot of funfairs, which painted the US president in a very negative light. The impression that the book gave was the person who had the most effect on President Trump was whoever spoke to him last. So, Steve Bannon until his removal from the job in the White House, was always around the President, to put in the last word. I had the opportunity to listen to it on audio. The book is very controversial, and according to Micheal Wolff, Donald Trump did not believe that he would win the election. The book came as a result of his many conversations with the senior members of the Trump White House. In the Author's note at the beginning of the book, he indicated although the Trump White House had hostility to the press as a policy, it was more open than any other White House to the media.
There were constant leaks to the press, and even the President answered almost all questions openly, allowed reporters into the White House as no President before him. He also seems to have daily one to one discussions, with anchors from Fox News and some other network. Wolff also mentions that he thought that he was able to get more information because no one knew what his function was. Wolff indicated that many different chieftains in the White House were in open conflict with one another, and this did lead to a lot of confusion. He also stated that many of the accounts in the book conflict with one another. Many of the stuff written was in Trumpian fashion and are untrue. From that, I think he means that some of the content was exaggerated and was in hyperbole. He said that is because he had written it in a way that the people who provided the information had given him their versions, and as a journalist, he had failed to validate or confirm them. He had placed that responsibility on us, the reader to judge their content. He also had information from a variety of sources, some who he mentions others he had not. So he mentioned a lot of stuff which was not right, and he failed to disclose the original, this is why a lot of critics were saying it was a work of fiction. But, if you read it and based on what you have read in the press so far, it is something you could see happening in the Trump campaign and White House. Hence, one could see it as tabloid journalism and sensationalism and take it was a pinch of salt.
Wolff saw the Trump WH as being chaotic and confused. The relationship with the Republican Party was complicated, and they did not have experience politicians on their side. Trump loved surrounding himself with generals but hated listening to them. The only few experience politicians they could get for the Trump side where the Republican National Committee chairman, Reince Priebus and Former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie. There was Bannon - Alt-Right, Priebus - Republican Party, and Kushner - Liberal New York Socialites and his Billionaire friends. These were groups sometimes were in open conflict with one another. According to Wolff, these conflicts were encouraged by the President. These were people who were not fully committed but had hedged their bets. But Wolff admitted that Trump was an excellent salesman and knew how to manipulate the media. He seems to have a sixth sense where the direction of his main base was going, i.e. the populist movement who wanted him to "drain the swamp". Trump knew that he was not going to be accepted by the liberal media.
Then there was the high turn over rate as people found it challenging to work in the WH. Kellyanne Conway, "alternative facts", was a slip of the tongue as what she meant to say was along the line of having "alternative information". Sean Spicer's controversial inaugural crowd number. The relationship with MBS in Saudi, the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Start of the Muller investigation. Paul Manafort, a lobbyist who came earlier on the team. Then his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, "Mr Magoo" according to the President. Rex Tillerson was said to have called the President an "f****** moron".
Then there was the deep state, which was a conspiracy consisting of the FBI, CIA, NSA, Home Land Security, etc. who were involved in running a government within a government. He was told according to Wolff by Henry Kissinger, not to make the security agencies angry. Hence, his first trip after being made President was to the CIA to use his salesman skills to win them over.
Throughout the book, Wolff painted Trump as being like a child and being semi-literate, not reading documents and people around him being self-centred having their agenda. Wolff described it as being in Adult Care. If a presentation would last more than five minutes, Trump will lose interest. But he looked at a TV, and another reason for the leaking was for anything to get his attention it has to be on TV, which he watched religiously every morning, with a burger in hand. I do not know the complexities of the US political structure. But for all intents and purposes, President Trump seems to be getting things done. The economic success which started under Obama is still edging forward. More and more people are in jobs. I could not help believe that it seems like a giant set up. The way that Wolff was allowed to gain access, no questions asked. The fact that Donald's "friend" Rupert Murdoch knew that Wolff was a writing a book. Ten years before, Wolff wrote a book "The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch" of which he "depicts him as a cranky, monomaniacal newspaper hack, a con man with bad hearing, no interest in new media paradigms and no real friends to speak of". One can not help suspecting whether .......
There were constant leaks to the press, and even the President answered almost all questions openly, allowed reporters into the White House as no President before him. He also seems to have daily one to one discussions, with anchors from Fox News and some other network. Wolff also mentions that he thought that he was able to get more information because no one knew what his function was. Wolff indicated that many different chieftains in the White House were in open conflict with one another, and this did lead to a lot of confusion. He also stated that many of the accounts in the book conflict with one another. Many of the stuff written was in Trumpian fashion and are untrue. From that, I think he means that some of the content was exaggerated and was in hyperbole. He said that is because he had written it in a way that the people who provided the information had given him their versions, and as a journalist, he had failed to validate or confirm them. He had placed that responsibility on us, the reader to judge their content. He also had information from a variety of sources, some who he mentions others he had not. So he mentioned a lot of stuff which was not right, and he failed to disclose the original, this is why a lot of critics were saying it was a work of fiction. But, if you read it and based on what you have read in the press so far, it is something you could see happening in the Trump campaign and White House. Hence, one could see it as tabloid journalism and sensationalism and take it was a pinch of salt.
Micheal Wolff said that on numerous occasions Donald reassured his wife Melania, that he would not win, as according to Wolff, Trump saw running for President and losing as a successful business venture to increase his media profile. It seems every senior person in the campaign will be satisfied it they lost, as they will gain recognition and according to Wolff were planning for their post-campaign lives, "losing would be winning". Especially after the "Billy Bush Weekend" or "Pussygate", the release of a tape where Trump said "I just grab them by the pussy". After their surprise win, Wolff said Donald Trump Jr said his father, "looked as if he had seen a ghost" and Melania was "in tears – and not of joy." But later and gradually he did accept the role of being President of the United States. Wolff did say it was like the movie "The Producers", a film about some actors who purposely set out to do a bad film which will flop, hence netting them money and allowing them extra time and are horrified when their movie was a hit.
 |
| Micheal Wolff |
Steve Bannon 63, the former executive producer of Breitbart News right-wing news, opinion, and commentary website was in the background of the book, or it's subtext. The book ended after Bannon removal from the WH. His voice seems to be the voice of reason. He seemed to have no extensive experience in politics and was full of conspiracy theories. It was Bannon that wrote the inaugural speech, which President W Bush said "that is some weird s**t!" after listening to it. Bannon, according to Wolff and Jared Kushner, seems to know how to handle Trump, with his hyperbole and exaggeration. Steve Bannon would provide Trump with on the cuff dialogue, "he had become familiar with the President's own words than the President himself". At any time, the President can turn Bannon on like a radio would have his thoughts fully formed on any subject, and this will go in line with Trump's studies at that particular moment in time. Bannon had in his office a whiteboard of Trump's aim and desires, and he did not suspiciously often use a computer. Bannon knew about the "alternative facts", and the fact that Trump was not going to change.
Wolff indicated that during the early part of the campaign, Trump was losing and bringing Barron aboard by Rebekah and Robert Mercer, seems to be a live saver. According to Wolff, there were only three people in the whole campaign who believed that Trump would win. Everybody thought he would lose, including Trump himself. Wolff said that even Trump did not put his own money on his Presidential campaign. It was Steve Bannon, Melania Trump and Hope Hicks, who believed that Trump could win. Bannon was also responsible for the "Muslim Travel Ban", after seeing the terror, confusions, and anger caused, Bannon "was satisfied". But it was Bannon who correctly identified the problem with the Russians. After the meeting in the Trump Tower with some Russians, Bannon said, "Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it's all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately". It was Bannon that was against the sacking of FBI Director, James Comey and felt it was a big mistake and it will come back and bite them. Then after the withdrawal from the climate change agreement, Steve said "Score, the bitch is dead" of Ivanka Trump. Bannon was against Trump speaking after race riots at Charlottesville, Virginia. When Trump said there was violence on "both sides", Bannon said "I told you so" after the incident.
Wolff indicated that during the early part of the campaign, Trump was losing and bringing Barron aboard by Rebekah and Robert Mercer, seems to be a live saver. According to Wolff, there were only three people in the whole campaign who believed that Trump would win. Everybody thought he would lose, including Trump himself. Wolff said that even Trump did not put his own money on his Presidential campaign. It was Steve Bannon, Melania Trump and Hope Hicks, who believed that Trump could win. Bannon was also responsible for the "Muslim Travel Ban", after seeing the terror, confusions, and anger caused, Bannon "was satisfied". But it was Bannon who correctly identified the problem with the Russians. After the meeting in the Trump Tower with some Russians, Bannon said, "Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it's all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately". It was Bannon that was against the sacking of FBI Director, James Comey and felt it was a big mistake and it will come back and bite them. Then after the withdrawal from the climate change agreement, Steve said "Score, the bitch is dead" of Ivanka Trump. Bannon was against Trump speaking after race riots at Charlottesville, Virginia. When Trump said there was violence on "both sides", Bannon said "I told you so" after the incident.
 |
| Steve Bannon |
Then there was the high turn over rate as people found it challenging to work in the WH. Kellyanne Conway, "alternative facts", was a slip of the tongue as what she meant to say was along the line of having "alternative information". Sean Spicer's controversial inaugural crowd number. The relationship with MBS in Saudi, the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Start of the Muller investigation. Paul Manafort, a lobbyist who came earlier on the team. Then his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, "Mr Magoo" according to the President. Rex Tillerson was said to have called the President an "f****** moron".
Then there was the deep state, which was a conspiracy consisting of the FBI, CIA, NSA, Home Land Security, etc. who were involved in running a government within a government. He was told according to Wolff by Henry Kissinger, not to make the security agencies angry. Hence, his first trip after being made President was to the CIA to use his salesman skills to win them over.
Throughout the book, Wolff painted Trump as being like a child and being semi-literate, not reading documents and people around him being self-centred having their agenda. Wolff described it as being in Adult Care. If a presentation would last more than five minutes, Trump will lose interest. But he looked at a TV, and another reason for the leaking was for anything to get his attention it has to be on TV, which he watched religiously every morning, with a burger in hand. I do not know the complexities of the US political structure. But for all intents and purposes, President Trump seems to be getting things done. The economic success which started under Obama is still edging forward. More and more people are in jobs. I could not help believe that it seems like a giant set up. The way that Wolff was allowed to gain access, no questions asked. The fact that Donald's "friend" Rupert Murdoch knew that Wolff was a writing a book. Ten years before, Wolff wrote a book "The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch" of which he "depicts him as a cranky, monomaniacal newspaper hack, a con man with bad hearing, no interest in new media paradigms and no real friends to speak of". One can not help suspecting whether .......
Comments
Post a Comment