Trump complains White House staff didn't tell him about Woodward book in newly released recording

President Trump.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Ahead of the release of an explosive new book about the White House from Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward, President Trump threw his staff under the bus, complaining that they did not tell him that Woodward had requested an interview.

The Washington Post on Tuesday released an audio recording of an 11-minute conversation between Trump and Woodward in early August, with Trump calling Woodward after finding out that the manuscript for Fear: Trump in the White House had been finished. An excerpt from Woodward's book released Tuesday includes the claim that White House aides routinely hide papers from the president so that he doesn't sign them, reports that Chief of Staff John Kelly believes Trump is "unhinged," and quotes the president as saying his light denigration of neo-Nazis was his "biggest" mistake.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.