Bush and Clinton veterans race to defend Bob Woodward

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

published 5 September 2018

President Trump is rushing to discredit a new book by investigative journalist Bob Woodward, but former government officials agree with what the president himself told Woodward on the phone: that his reporting may be tough, but it's always "fair."

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked under former President George W. Bush, tweeted that Woodward "always plays it straight," explaining that even though the reporting could be unflattering, it wasn't necessarily untrue.

Richard Stengel, an undersecretary of state during the Obama administration, said Woodward "has the facts on his side," while fellow Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein told CNN that the book would be proven correct. "This is an irrefutable picture, because of Bob Woodward's methodology," he said. Paul Begala, an adviser to former President Bill Clinton, also stood up for the veracity of Woodward's reporting, saying he was quoted accurately 24 years ago.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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