Bob Woodward warns about Trump shortly before the election

Bob Woodward warns about Trump shortly before the election

Editor's note:The story below contains explicit language.

The release of a new one Book by Bob Woodward follows a well-established pattern. Intrepid reporters gain access to copies of the heavily embargo-restricted book about a week before the official publication date and extract the news contained within.

News from Woodward's new book

As well as CNN as well as The Washington Post, where Woodward has the honorary title of deputy editor, last week reported the news of his latest book, "War." Particularly explosive: At the height of the pandemic, President Donald Trump secretly sent Covid-19 testing equipment to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since the end of his term, Trump has contacted Putin up to seven times.

Biden and the Ukraine invasion

Before Putin's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama for not taking more decisive action against the Russian leader when he attacked Crimea in 2014. Biden told a friend: "That's why we're here. We screwed up. Barack never took Putin seriously."

A heated call between Biden and Putin took place shortly before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Putin threatening nuclear war. Biden and his national security team later estimated the likelihood that Putin could use a tactical nuclear weapon during the Ukraine conflict at 50%. It's worth noting that CNN's Jim Sciutto reported extensively on Putin's possible use of a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine back in March.

Reactions to Woodward's book

As with Woodward's previous books, the politicians who perform poorly as a result of his reporting are often publicly criticized. The Trump campaign stated: “None of these made-up Bob Woodward stories are true.” Ahead of his book's publication, promotional pressure means it is already at number 5 on the Amazon bestseller list before it officially goes on sale on Tuesday and may become Woodward's 16th number 1 New York Times bestseller - an astonishing achievement.

Woodward has a penchant for one-word titles for his books about Trump: “Peril,” “Rage” and “Fear.” He has also written extensively about the post-9/11 wars in books such as “Bush at War” and “Obama’s Wars.” But how does “War” compare to these books and what are the central themes?

The most important themes in “War”

At the center of "War," Woodward reports on how Biden's national security team handled three wars: Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and the Gaza war, now in its second year, that has embroiled the Middle East in an expanded conflict.

Similar to Woodward's previous war books, the front lines of these conflicts take place not on the battlefields, but in the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room. A review of the White House Visitor Data shows that Robert Woodward (his legal name) visited the White House over two dozen times between December 2022 and April 2024, a period that “War” covers in detail.

The Secrets of Power

Woodward rarely stays away from this pinnacle of American power. So “War” is marked not by gunfire but by cellphones ringing as senior Biden aides participate in secure conference calls.

Woodward points out that neither Biden nor Trump spoke to him for this book, but he still had access to important information. It becomes clear that almost every senior security official in the Biden administration spoke to him because they knew that if they didn't talk to Woodward, others certainly would. So it made sense to work with the legendary reporter, who at 81 has more energy than many reporters at a much younger age.

Bumpy leadership in Afghanistan

However, the conclusion of stable and purposeful leadership contradicts the fiasco of chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, in which the Taliban regained control of the country and during which a suicide bomber killed 13 American soldiers and about 170 Afghans. This disaster was its own own goal, caused by Biden's decision to act against the advice of his top generals, who had warned him that the withdrawal of 2,500 US troops would lead to the collapse of the Afghan military.

The withdrawal was ultimately a success for the Taliban, who took over Afghanistan with a iron, misogynistic hand govern, supported by billions of dollars in military hardware left behind by the United States. According to the United Nations, the Taliban also hosts around 20 terrorist organizations.

Biden's wise handling of Ukraine

In contrast, the Biden team showed real leadership as it tried to warn the world about Putin's impending invasion of Ukraine. When the invasion finally occurred, the U.S. government steadily delivered weapons and significant support to the Ukrainians so they could hold off the Russians for more than two and a half years without American soldiers on the ground - a key goal of Biden's war.

The vast majority of the international community sees Ukraine as the vulnerable side, and the Biden administration has acted skillfully by keeping NATO together and expanding the alliance while avoiding direct American involvement that could have triggered an escalating conflict with Russia. This is indeed a real accomplishment that Biden can enjoy as he retires and seeks some well-deserved rest in Delaware.

The role of Kamala Harris

Although Vice President Kamala Harris is featured on the cover of "War" - presumably a marketing decision in anticipation of her presidential bid - she plays a less prominent role in the book compared to Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin and Jake Sullivan. However, when Harris is mentioned, she offers sage advice and has some of the funniest lines in the book. For example, she says Biden values ​​her company because she's the only one who can correctly pronounce the word "motherfucker."

Overall, “War” is an in-depth account of the wars during Biden’s term. While Woodward's astute observations provide nuanced analysis on other issues such as the Afghanistan withdrawal and the current raging conflict in the Middle East, the book shows that the Biden administration has experienced both successes and challenges in international politics.