EFTA02623496.pdf

From: aziza alahmadi Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 8:18 PM To: [email protected] l=like the confidence that Bob talked about it .... it's a real lesso= of how to be strong it htt=s://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/04/transcript-phone-call-betwee.-president-trump-journalist-bob- woodward/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7=b34bc8Sd22 <https://www.washing=onpost.com/politics/2018/09/04/transcript-phone-call-between-president-trum.-journalist- bob-woodward/?noredirectron&utm_term=.7fb34bc85d22> Tr=nscript: Phone call between President Trump and journalist Bob Woodward Aaron Blake <https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/aaron-blake/= class=> President T=ump and Bob Woodward discuss Woodward's new book, "Fear,Q=804, before its publication. (The Washi=gton Post) Bob Woodward, an associate editor at The=Washington Post, sought an interview with President Trump as he was writing "Fear," a book about Trump's presi=ency. Trump called Woodward in early A=gust, after the manuscript had been completed, to say he wanted to particip=te. Over the course of 11-plus minutes, Trump repeatedly claimed=his White House staff hadn't informed him of Woodward's int=rview request — despite also admitting Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)=had told him Woodward wanted to talk. He also started the phone call by say=ng Woodward had "always been fair" to him, but by the end h= said the book would be "inaccurate." This is a t=anscript of that call, with key sections highlighted and annotated. To see a= annotation, click on the yellow, highlighted text. Trump: H=llo, Bob. BW: President Trump, how are you? Trump: How a=e you? How are you doing? Okay? BW: Real well. I'm turni=g on my tape recorder, with your permission. Trump: Oh, that4k=99s okay. That's okay. I don't mind that at all. BW: I'm sorry we missed the oppo=tunity to talk for the book. Trump: Well, I just spoke with Kellyanne [Conway] and she a=ked me if I got a call. I never got a call. I never got a message. Who did y=u ask about speaking to me? EFTA_R1_01832790 EFTA02623496 BW: Well, about s=x people. BW: That's right. Well, I'm sorry, I . .. <= data-elm-loc="21" style="max-width: 100%;">Trump: I still remember that. BW: I spent a lot of time o= this, talked to lots of people. Trump: All right. Good. BW: And as you know and are living, we are at a pivot point in history= Trump: Right. BW: And I would've liked to h=ve done that, and I maximized my effort, and somehow it didn't get t= you, or . .. Trump: l='s really too bad, because nobody told me about it, and I would4o=99ve loved to have spoken to you. You know I'm very open to you. I t=ink you've always been fair. We'll see what happens. But all I can say is the country is doing very well. We'=e doing better economically just about than at any time. We're doin= better on unemployment maybe than ever. You know, I mean, if you look at t=e unemployment numbers, you've heard me say it. And we're d=ing better on unemployment than just about ever. We're having a lotrof — a lot of companies are moving back into our country, which wou=d've been unheard of two years ago. If the other administra=ion or representatives of it had kept going, had kept — you know, i= the other group had won, I will tell you, that you would have, I think you=E24tOd have a GDP of less than zero. I think we would've been go=ng in the wrong direction. Because regulations are such a big part of what w='ve done, Bob. BW: Well, I understand that point of view. And as you know, it40=800s also a difficult time where the political system and you and my busi=ess is being tested. =b style="max-width: 10Cr%;">Trump: Yeah. Yeah. BW: I take i= very seriously. I've done books on eight presidents, going back fr=m Nixon to Obama. Trump: Right. BW: And I learned so=ething about reporting, frankly, Mr. President. Trump: Good. BW: I've got to go talk to=people and see them outside of the White House and outside of their offices= and gained a lot of insight and documentation. And it's — y=u know, it's a tough look at the world and your administration and y=u. =b style="max-width: 100%;">Trump: R=ght. Well, I assume that means it's going to be a negative book. Bu= you know, I'm some — I'm sort of 50 percent used t= that. [Laughter] That's all right. Some are good and some are bad.=Sounds like this is going to be a bad one. BW: It was a chance missed, and I don'= know how things work over there in terms of . .. Trump: 2 EFTA_R1_01832791 EFTA02623497 BW:... getting to=you. Trump: Well, if you woul= call Madeleine [Westerhout] in my office .. . Did you spe=k to Madeleine? Madeleine is the key. She'= the secret. Because she's the person . .. BW:Trump: Well, a lot o= them are afraid to come and talk, or — you know, they are busy. 4=801>m busy. But I don't mind talking to you. I would've sp=ken to you. I spoke to you 20 years [ago] and I spoke to you a year and a h=lf or two years ago. [Listen to Woodward and Trump's call on The Post's "Can He Do T=at?" podcast <https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/can-he-do-that/exc=usive-phone-call-between-president-trump-and-bob- woodward/?utm_term=.e125=80d8b49> ] BW: A couple of years ago, I understand.<=p> Trump: And I certainly don't mind talking to you, and I w=sh I could've spoken to you. But nobody called my office. I mean, y=u went through, I guess, different people.... BW: Well, Mr. President, how can I spend all this tim= talking to people and — like Kellyanne a=d Raj and Republican senators? Trump: Who were the senators? No, they never called me ab=ut it. BW: Senator [Lindsey] Graham sa=d he had talked to you about talking to me. Now, is that not true? Trump: Senator Graha= actually mentioned it quickly in one meeting. BW: Yes. Well, see. And then nothing hap=ened. T=ump:=n fact, she just walked in. [ Yes. Tr=mp:BW: .4k=89.. it goes on, and I .. . What you can count on=is that I've been very careful. And Evelyn, are you on? EM D= Yes. BW: She transcribed all the tapes because, with permission, I tap=d people for hundreds of hours. Trump: Good. BW: And I think there's nothing in this book that=doesn't come from a firsthand source. Is that correct, Evelyn? EMD: I believe th=t's — Trump: But are you naming names? Or do you just say sources? BW: Yeah, well, i= names real incidents, so ... Tr=mp: No, but do you name sources? I mean, are y=u naming the people, or just say, people have said? <= data-elm-loc="70" style="max-width: 100%;">BW: I say, at 2:00 on this day, the=following happened, and everyone who's there, including yourself, i= quoted. And I'm sorry I didn't get to ask you about these .=E2410... 3 EFTA_R1_01832792 EFTA02623498 Trump: I mean, you do know I'm doi=g a great job for the country. You do know that NATO now is going to pay bi=lions and billions of dollars more, as an example, than anybody thought pos=ible, that other presidents were unable to get more? And i= was heading downward. You do know all of the things I've done and t=ings that I'm doing? I'm in the process of making some of t=e greatest trade deals ever to be made. You do understand that stuf=? I mean, I hope. BW: Certainly, I understand=and I would've loved to go through a discussion with you about NATO= because this goes back to early in your administration and your concern ab=ut it, and the agreement that the countries have that they would increase t=eir defense contribution, what is it, by the year 2024? And you know .4>=89.. So anyway, we are ... Trump: Well, you k=ow last year, if you see the secretary, [Jens] Stoltenberg, he said I belie=e $44 billion just last year, and that was from last year's meeting= And this year it's much more money they've agreed to put u=. So it's a tremendous amount of money. No other president has done=it. It was heading down in the opposite direction. So I don't know i= you're going to report it that way; probably not. But that'= too bad, but that's all right, but you know, one of those things.<=p> BW:y say this to you, Mr. President, to the presidency, or to the country= to not have real, full exchanges on these. And I broke my spear on it tryi=g to get to you. Trump:=/b> Well, other than Lindsey [Graham], who did quickly mention it, n=body mentioned it. BW: You say Kellya=ne's there, ask her. Trump: Nobody told me about it. Well, let me ask her. Why d=n't you speak to Kellyanne. Ask her. She never told me about it. Conway= Bob, how are you? Hi. <= data-elm-loc="81" style="max-width: 100%;">BW: Hi. Remember two and a half mon=hs ago you came over and I laid out, I wanted to talk to the president? And=you said you would get back to me? BW: Listen, I talked to=anyone I could. [Laughs) Conway: You talked to a number of peop=e and they all said no? BW: I talked to Raj. Conway: BW: He was going to work it out. Conway: Hope= [Me?). Yeah, well, about six or seven people. I tried. And I co=ldn't have — you and I spent a whole lunch on it, Kellyanne= And I said, I want to cover the substantive issues in foreign policy and d=mestic policy. And you said you would get back to me. Nothing. Conway: Yeah. So, I did.=I presented it to the people here who make those decisions, but ..= BW: Who are th= people? 4 EFTA_R1_01832793 EFTA02623499 Conway: But anyway, I'll give you back to the president. And l'= glad to hear that you tried through seven or eight different people. That40=800s good. You should tell him all the names. [Laughs] Thank you= Trump: But you never called for me. It would=E2.4ove been nice, Bob, if you called for me, in my office. I mean, I ha=e a secretary. I have two, three secretaries. If you would'=e called directly — a lot of people are afraid . . = Raj, I hardly have . . . I don't speak to Raj. BW: Kellyanne is a ... Trump:<=b> I do, I do, and Kellyanne went to somebody, but she didn't come t= me. BW: Well, does she have access to you? Trump:She does have access to me. A=solutely. She has direct access, but she didn't come to me. And you know what? That's okay. I'll just end up w=th another bad book. What can I tell you? BW: It's sur=rising to me that these people — did Raj have access to you? Trump: Not really, but he would've been able to do it. But I h=ve an office. You have the office number. I have an office that0=99s directly into my office. Conway: [inaudible in background] Trump: It doesn't matter. Let me tell you what matters: The economy is t=e best it's been in many, many decades. And it4o=8040s going to get a lot better. And the country is doing very well. That4,=8040s what's important. BW: Yes, sir. I thought I wou=d Trump: We're doing a good job. . . . never kind of say, let's not talk abo=t this because the book is done to a president ... Trump:=/b> Yeah, I know. BW:... and, but that0=99s the position we're in. And it's one I tried to avoid. Y=u need to know I made maximum effort. Trump: All right. It4k=99s too bad. BW: Yes, sir. BW: No, it's [?) — it'= going to be accurate, I promise. Trump:=/genius-referent> Yeah, okay. Well, accurate is that nobody*=99s ever done a better job than I'm doing as president. That I can t=II you. So that's .. . And that0=804$ the way a lot of people feel that know what's going on, and y=u'II see that over the years. But a lot of people feel that, Bob.</=> BW: I believe in our country, and because you're our pre=ident, I wish you good luck. Trump: Okay. Thank you very much,=Bob. I appreciate it. Bye. EFTA_R1_01832794 EFTA02623500 [Call ends] [Recording ends=/i>] Rega=ds, Aziza Sent from my iPhone 6 EFTA_R1_01832795 EFTA02623501