Trump and defenders say Woodward's book is untrue. They also say it doesn't matter even if it is true.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/GettyImages)

published 5 September 2018

As President Trump and his surrogates race to discredit a new book by investigative journalist Bob Woodward, several lines of attack have emerged — and they don't all align.

First, the White House called the book "nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees." Trump himself tweeted late Tuesday that it was "already discredited," saying with no evidence that it relied on "so many lies and phony sources," while other officials like White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis also chimed in to call it "fiction."

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Those outside the administration, however, aren't crying "fake news." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who reportedly spoke with Woodward and mentioned the book to Trump, suggested the ends justified the means. Whether or not Woodward's book is accurate, he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, Trump's "fate will be determined by the results he achieves for the American people, not by a book about the process." Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci went even further: "My guess is that elements of it are true," he told CNN. "So what?"

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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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