Bob Woodward book says Trump offered advice to a friend who admitted 'bad behavior' toward women: 'Deny, deny, deny'
- President Donald Trump offered up some advice to a friend who admitted "bad behavior" toward women, journalist Bob Woodward reports in his new book.
- "You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," he told the person, Woodward wrote in his book, "Fear: Trump in the White House."
President Donald Trump offered up some advice to a friend who admitted he behaved poorly with women: "Deny, deny, deny" the allegations.
That's according to the explosive new book from journalist Bob Woodward, "Fear: Trump in the White House."
"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," he told the person, who was not named, Woodward reported. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made. You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness. You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."
Woodward, of Watergate fame, included that reporting in a section of the book on Trump's relationship with his wife, Melania. Woodward wrote that Melania's primary concern was the couple's son, Barron.
Business Insider obtained a copy of the book, published by Simon & Schuster and set to be released Tuesday.
"She's obsessed with Barron," one person told Woodward. "That is her focus 100%."
Woodward wrote that those who traveled with Trump regularly noticed that the couple shares a sincere affection, though Melania operated independently from Trump.
"They ate dinner together at times, spent some time together; but they never really seemed to merge their lives," Woodward wrote.
Trump has publicly defended members of his staff and prominent Republicans who have been accused of wrongdoing by women. Trump stood up for former staff secretary Rob Porter, who was accused of spousal abuse by both of his ex-wives. They provided The Daily Mail with photographic evidence they said backed up their claims, which Porter has denied.
Trump also defended former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who was running for an Alabama vacancy and was accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with teenagers when he was in his 30s.
Trump himself has faced accusations of sexual misconduct more than a dozen women during the 2016 presidential election. Trump denied those claims and insisted the women were lying.
Trump has taken aim at the Woodward book, repeatedly slamming it as "fiction" and "a scam" on Twitter.
Here are more details from the book so far:
- Trump hits back at bombshell Bob Woodward book, calls it 'just another bad book' and claims Woodward has 'had a lot of credibility problems'
- Woodward's book reportedly spurred Trump to look to replace Mattis - here's who's at the top of that list
- 'It's either that or an orange jumpsuit': Explosive Bob Woodward book reportedly recounts Trump's lawyer's effort to keep him from interviewing with Mueller
- Trump denied calling Jeff Sessions - or anyone - 'mentally retarded,' but old records show he has
- Ivanka Trump and Steve Bannon reportedly clashed over proper White House protocol, and she told him 'I'm not a staffer! ... I'm the first daughter'
- Trump reportedly told Mattis that he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad after his chemical weapons attack on Syrians last year
- Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump's desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals
- John Kelly was reportedly enraged with Trump over his handling of Charlottesville, said he would have taken a resignation letter 'and shoved it up his ass 6 different times'
- Trump has reportedly said that his speech after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was the 'biggest f---ing mistake' he's made
- 6 alarming passages from Bob Woodward's book show Trump's inability to properly lead the military
- Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for 'unwavering faith' with his own White House in open mutiny
- Trump reportedly went to extraordinary and unusual lengths to console grieving military families