I'm about half way through Woodward's book and it's clear to see why Trump kept calling Woodward

[Snake Plissken]

Trump allowed himself to get worked over by Woodward for the same reason he allows himself to get worked over by everyone, his neediness is legendary.

He is literally starving for praise. He thought he could con Woodward into writing a positive book because he was sure he would be able to impress Woodward with is flimflam and Woodward would be grateful for the access.

Trump's love affair with North Korea ended because he got word of the CIA's analysis of how masterfully North Korea worked Trump over by focusing on how needy he is for praise, and Trump fell for it hook, line, and sinker, to the point of sending Kim Jong-un lover letters and putting pictures of him up in the White House.

[Hoyt]

1. One consolation is trump sounds like a pitiful loser on the tapes when Woodard tells him it's going

to be a tough book. trump is literally begging Woodward, "You don't think the economy is important too. We did all anyone could do."

[napi21]

2. How in the hell does anybody get to his age, wealth, & public awareness & still be so in need of

praise? Others in that same category the exact opposite. I can only hope voters see this and realize soeone like that should NEVER be resident!

[RainCaster]

5. His age increased; but not his wealth, intelect, or morality.

Sorry, but DFT is an absolute failure no matter how you look at him.

[Hekate]

7. Read Mary Trump's book, or a good review of it. He's a pathetic infant inside...

...whose needs were never fulfilled.

Unfortunately, one with the nuclear codes.

[bdamomma]

17. I am

looking forward to reading her book, other than being a family member, she's a psychologist, she knows what she is talking about.

[Squinch]

21. I couldn't finish it because it was so dismal. Glad she wrote it, but I couldn't hang in that world.

[Hekate]

24. Me either

[Caliman73]

18. Easy. It isn't really his wealth and America is obsessed with celebrity

The only thing Trump owns is his age. I have said this at least a dozen times, without his daddy's wealth and bailouts through out his life, Trump would be dead or in prison. He is a petty little thug. Not smart, not particularly talented at anything. Just spoiled and held up by those around him through out the years.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of really ignorant, unintelligent, anti-intellectual citizens in this country. We all have the right to vote, as we all should. We need a better education system that actually teaches people how to think critically, use logic, understand the process of evidence, know how to research and recognize good and bad sources, and finally; learn to control our emotions.

[niyad]

26. Don"t be so silly. Our "educational"system is perfectly designed. You cannot control a population

capable of critical thought. We are seeing the result of many decades of deliberately creating the kool-ade drinkers and their handlers.

[Skittles]

3. could you tell me what the book's title refers to

thanks

[Snake Plissken]

8. Woodward mention to Trump that he creates a lot of rage and asked why does he think that is

And as you would expect Trump answered by saying that everyone is jealous about how he is able to get so much don't along with the typical nonsense you'd expect a self absorbed idiot with no self awareness like Trump to say, so I'm guessing Woodward called it that because that is what made him cringe the most during these interviews

[Skittles]

37. OK thank you

that.....certainly makes sense

[still_one]

4. He also has an obsession with Obama. It isn't always overt, but subtle between the lines

When he was interviewing Rex Tillerson for Sec of State, he was extremely fixed on Tillerson’s account of Putin’s dislike of Obama

I am sure why Mattis was hired was because Obama fired Mattis because Mattis was against the Iran deal

Trump’s obsession and hatred of Obama motivates a lot of his decisions

Trump is crazy

[Snake Plissken]

11. Trump said Obama isn't smart and isn't a good speaker, and he was about to say someting else ...but

Last edited Wed Sep 16, 2020, 09:01 PM - Edit history (2)

went into how he went to the best schools and his uncle taught at MIT for over 40 years and his father was even smarter, so he comes from the best "stock"

It's beyond pathetic how insecure and needy he is.

[still_one]

20. Yes

[Skittles]

38. he knows he doesn't measure up to Obama

so he invokes his uncle

"beyond pathetic" pretty much nails him

[zentrum]

6. Did Woodward praise him?

[Snake Plissken]

9. Not unless it happens later, Woodward was just asking questions and Trump kept trying to impress him

without any clue that he was coming across as an utter buffoon throughout all of it

[lunatica]

12. I think what has helped Woodward all along is

the way he talks. He uses a pleasantly modulated tone with lots of pauses between words which may give the impression to some people that he’s a slow thinker and thus easily conned. He isn’t confrontational so he appears to be friendly and he shows a great deal of interest in what the other person is saying and thinking. Someone like Trump would think that kind of attention is admiration, when in reality it’s just the way Woodward pays attention.

I think this has been his secret to success. He’s interested in what people say and how they answer his questions. People with large egos probably love that.

[zentrum]

13. Right. Craves the attention.

[lunatica]

15. He's done it to a lot of Presidents.

[Snake Plissken]

16. He knows if you ask a con man to explain something, he will be unable to say "I don't know" or ...

"I made a mistake"

He will just keeping digging a deeper hole trying to con his way through it, and that is exactly what Trump did, and he kept calling back trying to con Woodward some more ... as if Woodward would forget about all the other lies just as his supporters do and the media usually does.

[Hekate]

22. He said something the other night about his contacts with the CIA early on, & how he learned....

...that if the interviewer asks a question and then simply remains silent...
*
*
*
*
*
*
... a lot of times the interviewee will start to fill the silence. So Woodward utilizes this technique.

[moonscape]

30. And he's not afraid of silence, allowing the

interviewee to continue filling in the spaces ...

[PatSeg]

31. You're right

Woodward comes across as very harmless and rather slow. His demeanor often disguises his really sharp mind. I can see how he could put people off guard. I'm sure during their many conversations, Trump couldn't imagine Woodward writing anything particularly critical of him, but in the end Woodward just documented what he saw and heard. I believe this is his only book where he passed judgment at the end.

[Cha]

36. Mahalo for that interesting analysis, lunatica.

[zentrum]

14. Ah--the compulsive need to impress.

Plan on reading it soon.

[Sogo]

25. It is more of his narcissism at work, flattered that someone of Woodward's fame

would now want to interview him, and blinded by that self-flattery as to WHY Woodward has that fame....basically, hoisted on his own petard....

[Beringia]

10. Ya, If I were a CIA agent looking to entrap someone, Trump would have to be an easy target

[jcgoldie]

19. Trump is surrounded by yesmen and only does interviews with fox news

He doesn't even understand that his bullshit doesn't work. When Woodward told him the book would be negative he was genuinely shocked.

He thought he could butter Woodward up with props and transparent fake praise. I'm pretty sure all Trump's stupid motivation was... "Just think how great everyone will think I am when the guy who destroyed Nixon says I'm terrific..."

[elleng]

23. True,

'his neediness is legendary.

He is literally starving for praise.'

HORRENDOUS, the damage his parents did (to him AND the world.)

[Elwood P Dowd]

27. I've always wondered exactly they did to him.

How can wealthy and intelligent parents produce such a spoiled, rotten, evil brat that needs adulation 24/7 even at age 74?

I've known a few spoiled wealthy brats during my 73 years, but they usually grow up at some point.

[elleng]

28. 'Wealthy' is all I'd say.

'Frederick Christ Trump (October 11, 1905 – June 25, 1999) was a prominent American real estate developer in New York City. He was the father of Donald Trump, the 45th and incumbent president of the United States.

In partnership with his mother, Elizabeth Christ Trump, Fred began a career in home construction and sales. Their real estate development company was incorporated as "E. Trump & Son" in 1927 (later called the Fred Trump Organization). It grew to build and manage single-family houses in Queens, barracks and garden apartments for U.S. Navy personnel near major shipyards along the East Coast, and more than 27,000 apartments in New York City.

Trump was investigated by a U.S. Senate committee for profiteering in 1954, and again by the State of New York in 1966. Donald became the president of his father's real estate business in 1971, and they were sued by the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for violating the Fair Housing Act in 1973. In later years, Fred conducted fraudulent schemes to benefit Donald, and suffered from Alzheimer's disease. In 1997, when his worth exceeded a billion dollars, he transferred the majority of his buildings to his surviving children, who sold them in 2004 for over 16 times their previously declared worth, effectively dodging hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Trump


'Anti-social' sounds right. I haven't read enough of his niece's book to say.

[Nitram]

29. Yes, it is clear Trump thought he could charm Woodward, one of the investigative reporters who

took down Nixon. Hubris. Narcissism. And other Greek words.

[PatSeg]

33. And you know,

if Trump had ever bothered to read Woodward's books, he probably would have realized that those interviews were a stupid idea. Not being a reader, especially if you are President of the United States, will eventually have consequences. To make matters worse, Trump doesn't even bother to seek out counsel or advice from people who ARE knowledgeable, because he believes in trusting his damn gut. So he doesn't read and doesn't trust people who do.

[NoRoadUntravelled]

32. This is what untreated mental illness does. It's a destroyer of lives.

He is responsible for everything he's done and so are those in Congress and the White House who have encouraged and enabled it. But the truth remains that he is a sick individual and the country has been in danger since he was elected.
Every nominee for the office of the President should be required to pass the test taken by immigrants to the US who desire to become citizens and every nominee for the office must pass a thorough a psych evaluation to rule out mental illness.
Our country deserves no less.
Oh yeah, and tax returns would be nice.

[Duppers]

40. Exactly 👍

[Cha]

34. Oh JHC.. that WH is going to have to be Fumigated,

Exorcized & Sage Smudged!

TY for your OP SP.. very enlightening.

[Warpy]

35. Woodward has said in interviews that this was not a formal deal

with sit down interviews, that Dumdum would call him after working hours because he was bored and Woodward was one of the few people who would listen to him for hours--recorder in hand. So this book pretty much fell into Woodward's lap.

Any world leader who knows how he can't tolerate being alone without anyone around to praise him knows how to get whatever they want out of him. Woodward got a book. I have to wonder what Kim, Xe, and Putin are getting.

[BComplex]

39. And it's telling that he keeps falling in love with brutal males, and that he hates women except

as sex objects to dominate.

I think he's the only one that doesn't get it.