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James Mattis’ blistering statement completely crushes Bob Woodward’s new book

September 5, 2018 | | Print Article

Not many people would risk getting on Defense Secretary James Mattis’ bad side but it seems author Bob Woodward did just that.

The Pentagon released a scathing statement from Mattis calling Woodward’s upcoming book, “Fear: Trump in the White House,” a “uniquely Washington brand of literature” and a work of “fiction.”

“The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward’s book were never uttered by me or in my presence,” Mattis said in a blistering statement that crushed even the credibility of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author.

“While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility,” Mattis added.

The Watergate reporter alleged in his book that Mattis once described President Trump as having the understanding of “a fifth- or sixth-grader,”  according to The Washington Post, recounting a January National Security Council meeting in which Trump questioned U.S. government spending in the Korean Peninsula.

Following that meeting, Mattis “was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president acted like — and had the understanding of — ‘a fifth- or sixth-grader,’” according to the Post.

In his statement slamming Woodward’s book, Mattis noted that that “responsible policy making in the real world is inherently messy,” though “it is also essential that we challenge every assumption to find the best option.”

“I embrace such debate and the open competition of ideas. In just over a year, these robust discussions and deliberations have yielded significant results, including the near annihilation of the [Islamic State in Iraq and Syria] ISIS caliphate, unprecedented burden sharing by our NATO allies, the repatriation of U.S. service member remains from North Korea, and the improved readiness of our armed forces. Our defense policies have also enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress,” Mattis wrote.

“In serving in this administration, the idea that I would show contempt for the elected Commander-in-Chief, President Trump, or tolerate disrespect to the office of the President from within our Department of Defense, is a product of someone’s rich imagination,” he said.

The book by the Watergate author is set to be released next week and has already generated blistering criticism, including from Trump himself who said Woodward has “a lot of credibility problems.”

Those who read the general’s attack on Woodward applauded Mattis for living up to his “Mad Dog” nickname.

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Frieda Powers
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