In his latest book, legendary journalist Bob Woodward gives a fascinating look behind the curtains about President Biden’s interactions with world leaders, including Russian President Putin and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN reveals having secured a copy before its October 15 release.
The book, entitled “War,” by the former Washington Post investigative reporter covers, among other things, former President Trump’s private talks with Vladimir Putin, the critical moments of Biden’s reactions from inside the national security room during the catastrophic Afghanistan pull-out of the US military.
Some of the most interesting excerpts focus on an irate Biden using expletive language when Russia invaded Ukraine: “That fucking Putin,” Biden said to advisers in the Oval Office. “Putin is evil. We are dealing with the epitome of evil.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not escape Biden’s profanity, Woodward writes in the book. “That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy. He’s a bad fucking guy!” the U.S. President said, addressing one of his associates privately in the spring of 2024 as Israel ramped up its military campaign in Gaza.
As CNN reports, citing a Trump aide, Woodward reports that there have been “maybe as many as seven” calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left the White House in 2021.
In a statement, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump gave Woodward “absolutely no access” to the book. “None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true,” he said.
One of the most alarming moments, the book details, is when Biden and his team reacted to the possibility of Putin using nuclear weapons. Based on intelligence assessments, the White House believed there was a 50% chance Russia would use a tactical nuclear weapon, Woodward reports.
Woodward shared in two Pulitzer Prizes – first for the coverage of the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein in 1973, and second in 2002 as the lead reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
