In Bob Woodward's previous book, Fear, the journalist describes a scene from 2017 in which President Trump pushed then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis to "kill" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after he launched a chemical attack on civilians. Mattis, Woodward reported, opted for a more measured approach in the end.
Trump responded at the time that assassinating Assad "was never even contemplated, nor would it be contemplated," while generally describing the book as "fiction."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How long will Trump's honeymoon last?Talking Points The first days of a presidency are often the best
-
Why is the FDA slow to ban food additives?Today's big question A legal loophole lets things slide
-
Fukuoka: a Japanese metropolis with vibrant history, superb eating and a whole lot less touristsThe Week Recommends A harborside Japanese city that meshes the ancient and the very modern
-
Top Israeli general to resign over Oct. 7 failuresSpeed Read Herzi Halevi took responsibility for his failure to prevent the attacks that sparked Israel's war in Gaza
-
80 dead in Colombia amid uptick in guerrilla fightingSpeed Read This was the country's deadliest wave of violence since the peace accords set by President Gustavo Petro in 2016
-
Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal on track to start by MondaySpeed Read A deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and begin a ceasefire was officially signed by representatives in Doha
-
Ukraine captures first North Korean soldiersSpeed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted videos of the men captured in Russia's Kursk region
-
Lebanon selects president after 2-year impasseSpeed Read The country's parliament elected Gen. Joseph Aoun as its next leader
-
US accuses Sudan rebels of genocide, sanctions chiefSpeed Read Sudan has been engaged in a bloody civil war that erupted in 2023
-
Ukraine goes on offense in Russia's Kursk regionSpeed Read A top adviser to President Zelenskyy said "the Russians are getting what they deserve"
-
Ukraine cuts off Russian gas pipeline to EuropeSpeed Read Ukraine has halted the transport of Russian gas to Europe after a key deal with Moscow expired
