Rage (Woodward book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Founder | Bob Woodward |
| Products | Nonfiction book |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Rage is a nonfiction work released in 2020 by American journalist Bob Woodward and published through Simon & Schuster. It provides an in-depth analysis of the first presidency of Donald Trump, scrutinizing his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, disputes with military leaders and officials such as Jim Mattis and Dan Coats, his handling of the racial unrest, as well as his dealings with leaders from Russia and North Korea.
The book’s title originates from a 2016 discussion in which Trump admitted to provoking "rage" in others, reflecting underlying divisions within the Republican Party. Trump suggested that this characteristic ultimately helped unify his base.
Background
Trump expressed remorse over not participating in Woodward’s 2018 publication, Fear. Officials within the White House linked Trump’s regard for Woodward to his "1980s cultural mindset," appreciating Woodward’s status as an institution due to his role in uncovering the Watergate scandal. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci referred to Woodward as the "gold standard" of investigative presidential journalism. Trump’s interactions with journalists like Woodward indicate his belief that direct engagement can shape media perspectives.
The president urged members of his administration to cooperate with Woodward during the creation of Rage, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien, and deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Trump as "the most transparent president in history." Publisher Simon & Schuster emphasized that the book is based on hundreds of hours of interviews, supplemented by notes, emails, diaries, calendars, and confidential records.
Trump participated in 18 recorded interviews amounting to nine hours, conducted both in the Oval Office and via telephone. Despite granting this access, he later criticized the book as "another political hit job," disputing its depiction of his management of the coronavirus crisis.
Content
The narrative begins by exploring tensions between the United States and North Korea, featuring personal correspondence between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim characterizes their initial encounter with romanticized language, describing it as "reminiscent of a scene from a fantasy film." This diplomatic easing followed widespread fears of potential nuclear war between the two countries. Woodward’s account focuses heavily on Trump's relationships with global leaders, including coverage of his impeachment and allegations of collusion with Russia, alongside an examination of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his administration. In one interview, Trump acknowledged that the pandemic "will be the biggest national security threat you [Trump] face in your presidency."
Although warned that COVID-19 might be five times more lethal than the common flu, Trump admitted he "wanted to always play it down" to prevent public alarm. Rage concludes with Woodward’s judgment that Trump was "the wrong man for the job."
Reception
Nancy Cook and Alex Thompson from Politico observed that Trump anticipated he could win over Woodward, who had documented numerous presidential administrations and played a key role in uncovering a major political scandal. Nevertheless, the disclosures in the book sparked unrest within the Trump administration, with staff members attributing blame to one another for intensifying difficulties during an already challenging reelection effort.
Woodward encountered criticism for postponing the release of information regarding Trump's early awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. He justified this by explaining that his book offered a more comprehensive perspective than typical news coverage and emphasized the complexities involved in confirming Trump's statements. Additionally, he pointed out that revealing Trump's February knowledge sooner would not have introduced any new facts.