Since the start of the Trump presidency, tell-all books have been released in hopes that they would shed light on a polarizing leader and hopefully turn the tide against him. Each of these attempts is like the other in that it fails to convert anyone.
Bob Woodward’s book, Rage, was released on Tuesday and is the latest such book. Other books include Michael Cohen’s Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump, John Bolton’s The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, and Omarosa Manigault Newman’s Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House.
Those who despise President Trump view each publication as a shocking exposè that will be his undoing. Meanwhile, supporters of the president remain unmoved by any revelation, deeply committed to the man and his mission.
While Woodward’s book is written from the perspective of a journalist with seemingly unprecedented access to the president, the others are from the point of view of an employee or adviser to the most powerful man in the world. No matter the author, each seems like a futile attempt to harm the administration.
The phrase “we have always known who he is” is often used as a means of defending either the president’s behavior or justifying constant critiques of it. It may sound like an excuse, but the truth is, we actually have been aware of his character from the start. Despite this extensive knowledge, left-leaning media view each Trump-centric book as a long-awaited revelation that will ultimately be the final straw. Somehow, a public that is acutely aware of the 45th president’s character is in desperate need of a book to comprehend what has been obvious from the start.
This is wishful thinking at best, and now that the election draws near, much stock is being placed in the admissions of Woodward’s book and in how they might change coming events. These hopes are colored by partisanship and the unwillingness to acknowledge the reality of what has been happening since even before Trump was inaugurated.
Additionally, there is something deeply disingenuous about the memoirs released by Trump’s former confidantes. When individuals such as Cohen, Bolton, or Newman worked for Trump, they did so with the understanding that he was a boorish, politically inexperienced populist whose appeal was more personality-driven than anything. They had seen him exhibit coarse, uncontrolled behavior in public. There was no reason to expect his private self would be an improvement.
Each has revealed how they believe he is unfit for office. During their employment, they appeared to be committed followers ready to defend the man to whom they had pledged their loyalty, however brief. Among the divided public, there are plenty who will believe their claims, while others will deny them. But this stands out among all: There is a sense that these former employees-turned-authors are only devoted to personal gain.
When they were with the president, close proximity to power mattered most. After breaking from his circle, ingratiating themselves with the crowd that had criticized them all along became the top priority. This is not to say that what is included in any former employee’s book is false. On the contrary, many of the claims, if not all, are believable. However, the timing is suspect. A threat to the nation in the form of an incompetent, petulant president certainly requires more urgency, one would think.
There is almost nothing about this presidency that is shocking, considering how early the boundaries were erased. From the start of his candidacy in 2015, Trump has displayed who he is, for good or ill, without apology. Since his time on the national stage is unlike any other, it would follow that any revelation about him either from those on the outside or inside would not shake things up to a meaningful degree.
Like all elected leaders, Trump should be criticized when he acts in a manner incongruous with the highest office in the land. But very few people remain undecided when it comes to their opinion of him. No book is likely to change the election or their mind.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
