The man who specializes in exposing the "deep secrets" of the White House

Lam Vy DNUM_AHZAJZCABI 19:00

(Baonghean.vn) - Veteran American journalist Bob Woodward has become the center of attention as his book about behind-the-scenes stories in the White House, titled “Fear: Trump in the White House,” is about to hit the shelves.

With 40 years of writing experience, Bob Woodward is known as the most excellent investigative journalist, having provided a series of "masterpieces" about the dark corners of American governments, even causing President Richard Nixon to lose his position.

Bob Woodward is the author of the upcoming book “Fear: Trump in the White House.” Getty Images

Trump's Fear

After Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” the public is eagerly awaiting a similar work by veteran journalist Bob Woodward. Bob Woodward made history in American journalism by exposing the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s ouster and the imprisonment of many of his close associates. Several of Bob’s nearly 20 other books have exposed the “dark corners” of the administrations of American presidents.

Book expected September 11“Fear: Trump in the White House”has just been officially released, but so far, the details revealed have made the public "restless". The book describes the chaos in the White House under the administration of President Donald Trump and the fear from Mr. Trump's subordinates that he is a threat to national security, causing them to find ways to disobey orders.

One of the notable pieces of information is that President Trump once directed Defense Secretary James Mattis to organize the assassination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after Washington accused the Damascus government of using chemical weapons in April 2017. However, instead of following orders, Mr. Mattis launched a smaller-scale operation that did not target Mr. Assad.

In another shocking detail, the book recounts how former economic adviser Gary Cohn once “stole and hid a document from the President’s desk” to prevent President Trump from signing a waiver to halt a major trade deal with South Korea…..

The White House immediately criticized the author of the book for fabricating stories from disgruntled former White House staff to “smear” the President right before the midterm congressional elections. The White House’s response made the public even more curious, and many predicted that the upcoming book could be an “information bomb” with consequences that would hit President Donald Trump’s reputation.

Famous from American political scandal

The American press is no stranger to the name Bob Woodward - a veteran writer for The Washington Post, a "boss" of investigative journalism. He was born on March 26, 1943 in Geneva, Illinois, USA, the son of a famous lawyer. Writing ability is probably a natural gift for Bob. He won a full scholarship to study literature and history at Yale University in 1965.

Bob Woodward (right) and Carl Bernstein, two reporters covering the shocking Watergate scandal in 1972. Photo: Washington Post.

As a young man, Bob struggled with choosing a career. After graduating from college, he enlisted in the US Navy, hoping to experience and understand life in a war zone. However, he was assigned to a fleet that operated offshore, and would only participate in combat if a nuclear war broke out. As a result, during his five-year military career, Bob never had to go to a war zone.

In 1970, he intended to follow in his father’s footsteps by attending Harvard Law School, but did not pursue it to the end. He switched to journalism with his first newspaper, the Montgomery County Sentinel in Maryland. Within just one year, Woodward became the best reporter at the newspaper and in September 1971, he joined The Washington Post. From here, Bob Woodward’s career marks changed his life.

The Watergate scandal was considered a boost to the journalist's career and reputation. The incident began when five people were arrested while attempting to break into the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel in Washington on June 17, 1972. These people were installing listening devices and photographing documents.

Bob Woodward, then in his early 20s, was one of two reporters assigned to investigate the case. They uncovered a wiretapping ring orchestrated by Republicans to gain an advantage over Democrats in President Nixon's re-election campaign. The incident became the biggest political scandal of the 20th century, leading to Nixon's downfall.

Thanks to the Watergate scandal, Bob Woodward went from being an unknown reporter to the most powerful and famous journalist in America. In 1973, he received the Pulitzer Prize for his outstanding contributions to society. A year later, Woodward published a book about his investigation of the Watergate scandal called “All the President's Men” and it was made into a movie.

Qualities of a CIA Officer

Not “sleeping” in the glamour of fame and popularity, more than 40 years after the Watergate incident, Woodward continued to focus on journalism and writing books, mainly in the genre of investigating the “deep secrets” of American political life…. He is the co-author of the book “Inside the Supreme Court” published in 1979, “The CIA’s Secret Wars 1981-1987”.

In 2001, he published the book “Plan of Attack” with allegations about the activities of the Bush administration leading to the Iraq war. Although not as famous as the Watergate investigations, this work still attracted great public attention.

In 2012, he released “The Price of Politics,” a book about the financial policy conflict between President Barack Obama and Republicans in the US Congress…

In general, all of Woodward’s works have excited and delighted the public because they have discovered the hidden things in the most powerful agencies in the United States. Many people commented that Woodward has changed the form of American journalism, turning it into a real “fourth power” in society.

Veteran CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer commented, “Woodward has become the best reporter of our time, perhaps even of all time.” He said Woodward is not the type of journalist who hunts for sensational stories.

Instead, he “very calmly, slowly laid out each piece of evidence and argument so that the reader could understand what had happened.” Woodward’s ability to access information grew stronger over the years thanks to his diligent accumulation and his keen eye for investigating any case.

Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense and former director of the US CIA, even revealed that he once wanted to recruit Woodward to the CIA, because "He has an extraordinary ability to make people confide things they cannot tell anyone else."

Therefore, it is not surprising that the upcoming book “Fear: Trump in the White House” features many figures who were once President Donald Trump’s closest advisors, such as former economic advisor Gary Cohn, former White House Secretary of Staff Rob Porter, and former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus…

Despite mixed opinions on how to expose behind-the-scenes stories inside the White House, many expressed confidence in Woodward - a symbol of American investigative journalism. "Anonymous sources may not be very discreet and sometimes do not tell the story verbatim, but Woodward is always honest," said Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush./.

Lam Vy