{"id":363374,"date":"2020-09-10T16:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T20:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.rushlimbaugh.com\/?p=363374"},"modified":"2020-09-11T16:07:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:07:34","slug":"the-woodward-takeaway-its-too-much-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/daily\/2020\/09\/10\/the-woodward-takeaway-its-too-much-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"The Woodward Story: Too Much, Too Late – And It\u2019s Not a Scoop"},"content":{"rendered":"

RUSH: I always like being able to come back during times of panic to tell people that there\u2019s no reason to panic. There really isn\u2019t any reason to panic. None. I think it\u2019s so obvious to more and more people what is going on. Every day now it\u2019s something new — every day — and it\u2019s gonna be this way all the way up until the election, and none of it\u2019s gonna matter. None of it\u2019s gonna be true.<\/p>\n

Very little of it\u2019s gonna be solidly true. There may be elements of truth in some of these scandals, but it\u2019s just so transparently obvious what is happening here. They\u2019ve got nothing on Donald Trump, and they are attempting to make it up even now, like they tried to make up the Russian meddling scandal. They tried to make up the Ukraine business on impeachment, and they\u2019re trying to make this stuff up with the Woodward book and the panic and the COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\"\"And then, of course, The Atlantic story<\/a>, supposedly calling the dead American heroes “suckers” and “losers.” That story\u2019s fallen apart. Nothing to it ever. Anyway, I love being able to come back and calm the waters. It\u2019s one of the things that I do best, including make the complex understandable. Great to be with you, folks. I woke up again today, thanked God that that happened, and right here we are behind the Golden EIB Microphone.<\/p>\n

The telephone number if you want to be on the program is 800-282-2882, and the email address, ElRushbo@eibnet.us.<\/p>\n

The Bob Woodward book. I know that many people ask, “Why would Trump even do it? Why would he give Bob Woodward so much time?” I\u2019ll tell you why. There are a couple of primary reasons. Number one: Donald Trump thinks that this is what all serious presidents have done since Bob Woodward has been writing. They all sit for an interview. Trump sat for, whatever, 18 times, interviews, hours, whatever the number is.<\/p>\n

The second reason is that Donald Trump believes that he can charm these people one on one. He\u2019s never gonna change in that belief. That\u2019s what he thinks he\u2019s capable of. He thinks that he can turn these people. Even now, my friends, I\u2019ll guarantee you that he thinks that he can unify the country after he wins reelection. He thinks that he has the ability to charm.<\/p>\n

He thinks that he has the ability to make people like him, eventually. He thinks that he can outlast them, and this is just the way he goes about life. He\u2019s an ultimate optimist in this regard, but he also knows… While thinking and hoping that those things can come true, he also knows that, if they lose, meaning if he wins (chuckles), you think that we\u2019ve been through Democrat Party hell the past four years? You don\u2019t know hell.<\/p>\n

We had somebody call last week, “Rush, what\u2019s gonna happen if the Democrats lose? Is it gonna be…?” It\u2019s gonna be bad, folks. It\u2019s not gonna be, “Well, we gave it our best shot and we\u2019re now out of ammo and let\u2019s go back and regroup for 2024.” It isn\u2019t gonna be that at all. It\u2019s gonna be ramped up beyond even what they\u2019re doing today to try to get rid of Trump and pronounce the 2020 election illegitimate.<\/p>\n

Just get ready for it. We\u2019ll have more on this as the program unfolds. But I have to tell you, this Trump fellow is a very, very clever guy. Stop and think of this. Look at the foresight that Donald Trump had. He gives Bob Woodward 18 interviews so that the Woodward book would come out just in time to knock that Atlantic magazine story off the front pages. What prescience!<\/p>\n

What an ability to predict the future. I mean, here comes the Woodward book, and what does it do? It totally knocks off The Atlantic story about Trump calling dead soldiers “losers” and “suckers.” There was ever been anything to that story. Even John Bolton said he was there and said it didn\u2019t happen. Nineteen people now have said that they were there and that it didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

\"\"Folks, none of what they\u2019ve alleged happened. This is the thing, starting with Trump-Russia collusion and whatever story that you want to try to remember. From the day Trump was elected, then the day Trump was inaugurated, none of it has been true. Not even elements of it have been true! It has been one of the most gigantic collections of accrued falsehoods and lies.<\/p>\n

In fact, it may be unprecedented. Now, think about the Woodward book too. Here\u2019s the first thing that I noticed. I knew by the time I got here behind the microphone that everybody else would have mentioned this. So Donald Trump tells Bob Woodward all of this supposedly damning stuff, that he knew it was bad. It was really bad! It was much worse than Trump wanted to admit, but he didn\u2019t want to panic anybody.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the big story. That\u2019s it. That\u2019s what Woodward\u2019s got. After all these conversations, that\u2019s it. Why didn\u2019t Woodward put that on page one of the Washington Post seven months ago when he got it? I mean, that is a newsworthy story, is it not? But what did he do? He sat on it. He buried it. He kept it. For what? Money! He kept it for his book, which is what journalists these days do.<\/p>\n

They embed with candidates. They embed with people they\u2019re doing stories on, and they learn all kinds of big stuff, and then they hold it for their book. They hold it for the big payoff. And then when they release it as their item to sell the book, why, it\u2019s released as something monumentally huge, gigantically big. “This proves that Trump doesn\u2019t care about people! He doesn\u2019t care if people die.”<\/p>\n

Well, Bob Woodward, you had this seven months ago, and you sat on it. It can\u2019t be that big. Woodward spoke to Trump 18 times, right? The worst that Woodward could come up with was that Trump told him he didn\u2019t want to cause a panic over the coronavirus? We have said for years that Trump must be the cleanest person in Washington, meaning there isn\u2019t any dirt.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve been trying to dig up dirt on Trump. They have overturned everything where dirt might be underneath; they haven\u2019t found any. That\u2019s the takeaway, folks. They haven\u2019t found any dirt. They haven\u2019t found any scandal. They haven\u2019t found anything they\u2019ve alleged that has happened. Stop and think of this. You know what? I think most Americans are well aware of this, and I think most Americans are well tired of this.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think these people in the media today and the American left have the slightest bit of empathy for how what they are doing is being seen, received — how it\u2019s being read — by the American people. It\u2019s not, “Oh, my God, look! Look what Trump\u2019s doing! Oh, gee, do you believe this? (sputtering) Why, Trump did… Trump…” That\u2019s not the reaction people have. The reaction people are having is (sigh), “You mean they\u2019re trying something else?<\/p>\n

“You mean they\u2019re trying something new? You mean the media and the Democrats…?” Like this latest whistleblower. Why does this guy wait until now to come forward with his big whistleblowing news, something about Trump and Russia? Why are these people waiting? Why did Woodward wait? Why do these people wait? Why do they wait until now? It\u2019s because it\u2019s getting closer and closer to the election.<\/p>\n

This stuff is supposed to move peoples\u2019 opinions when it comes to for whom they\u2019re gonna vote. I\u2019m gonna tell you: The Woodward book isn\u2019t gonna change a single vote. You think so, Mr. Snerdley? (interruption) You think it might, sadly? You think it might, sadly, change votes against Trump? It might cause Trump to lose some votes? Oh… (interruption) Tell me why. Tell me, why do you think this. (interruption)<\/p>\n

Right. (interruption) Okay. So, Mr. Snerdley believes there are a lot of people who think that Trump already botched COVID, didn\u2019t do a very good job with it. Now they\u2019ve learned that he knew it was bad, but he didn\u2019t want to panic anybody. He didn\u2019t want to tell anything how bad it was. So it got worse with Trump not helping anybody. (sigh) We\u2019ll see. I think it\u2019s too much, too late.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A lot of people say the phrase is “too little, too late.” It\u2019s too much, too late. I think the American people have reached what I call their absorption level. There\u2019s just… They\u2019re worn out. All of these supposed rotten things that Trump has done that are gonna get people killed, gonna get people hurt, gonna get the country damaged? None of it ever happened.<\/p>\n

None of it ever really proves out. None of it comes true. But the point is that every day it\u2019s something new. When\u2019s the last time, ladies and gentlemen, you saw a good story? When\u2019s the last time you saw a positive story about Donald Trump in the Drive-By Media? You haven\u2019t. They haven\u2019t done one. Do you think the American people don\u2019t notice this?<\/p>\n

Do you think the American people aren\u2019t aware of what\u2019s going on? I think they\u2019re far more sophisticated and aware than what people want to acknowledge. But I realize there\u2019s a lot of people on our side like Mr. Snerdley who think this stuff is gonna work because, in their minds, it has worked. It\u2019s gotten rid of certain Republicans in the past or it succeeded in damaging others.<\/p>\n

But I think Trump\u2019s a different ball game, a different ball of… (interruption) Well, I am usually right about this stuff. But, again, remember I learned of this distanced from it. I learned of this while I was away. I learned of this as a consumer learns of it, not as someone on the radio, \u2019cause there was nothing I could do about it. I was not gonna be on the radio the next day when I learned about this.<\/p>\n

All I could do was think about when I was gonna be back, and I wasn\u2019t sure. I mean, this is the first Thursday of treatment week that I\u2019ve been able to get back in here. Last time was the first Friday of treatment week — and earlier this week, I didn\u2019t know I was gonna be back. You never know. So, I\u2019m receiving this news as consumers receive it, and to me it was (chuckling), “Bob Woodward? Here we go. Typical.”<\/p>\n

And at the end of the day, has any…? Mr. Snerdley, search your memory here. Woodward has done books on George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush. He\u2019s done books on — let\u2019s see — Ronaldus Magnus. Can you remember any of these Woodward books that have done great damage, have ended presidencies, have destroyed the presidency of anybody Woodward has done a book on?<\/p>\n

No, you can\u2019t. But do you know why? Because at the end of the day, there\u2019s a pattern with Woodward books, and the pattern is the Woodward book comes out and the worst part of it is the only thing anybody hears. In this case, Trump didn\u2019t want to cause a panic — and after a while, people will read the whole book. You know what they\u2019re gonna find? They\u2019re gonna find Trump\u2019s very reasonable.<\/p>\n

\"\"They\u2019re gonna find Trump was very open, very honest, and there\u2019s not much scandal in this book all. That is the history of Woodward books, and they do not destroy their subject. Woodward books have not destroyed the presidency of anybody Woodward\u2019s written about yet. Books! Now, I know I can hear you shouting, “Watergate” and “Nixon.” But in terms of actual books?<\/p>\n

Somebody\u2019s gonna have to correct me if I\u2019m wrong about this, but I don\u2019t believe that I am. You know, Woodward\u2019s “bombshell,” it\u2019s not even new news. Trump told reporters around the same time that he didn\u2019t want to cause panic. I remember this like it was yesterday. I remember during a lot of these coronavirus task force press conferences in the afternoon, Trump would be queried by the media.<\/p>\n

And his answer frequently was, “I\u2019m trying to keep calm. I\u2019m trying to keep order. I want the country to remain calm.” How many…? This isn\u2019t even news. The fact that he didn\u2019t want to cause a panic isn\u2019t news. Woodward doesn\u2019t even have a scoop here. If I assigned Cookie a project this afternoon, “Cookie, go out and find me some examples of Trump in March and April at the coronavirus task force — in answer to a media question — talking about how he wanted calm; he didn\u2019t want to create panic,” we could find one.<\/p>\n

We could find numerous examples with a simple keyword search. March 30th. I\u2019ll give you one myself. Trump told reports, “The statements I made are because I want to keep the country calm. I don\u2019t want panic in the country. Do we want a president that\u2019s gonna panic the country? Isn\u2019t the president\u2019s job to calm everybody? Do we want somebody that\u2019s gonna cause a panic?”<\/p>\n

Is that what the scandal with the Woodward book is? “Trump should have caused a panic! He should have told everybody how rotten it is. He should have told everybody they\u2019re gonna die. He should have told everybody that they\u2019re toast. He should have told everybody they\u2019ve got no prayer. He should have told everybody, ‘We\u2019re done!'”<\/p>\n

Is that what he should have done? I thought presidents were supposed to dial it back. I thought presidents were supposed to provide leadership. Cookie, go find it on March 30th. I just gave you the take-away date there — and guess what? We\u2019ve already got it! Let me find it. Audio sound bite… Do I have time? Yes, I do. Audio sound bite number 7.<\/p>\n

Are you ready? In three, two, one. It\u2019s a press conference, and it\u2019s Jim Acosta, CNN, and Acosta\u2019s questions is, “What do you say to Americans who are upset with you over the way you downplayed this crisis over the last couple of months? What do you say to Americans who believe that you got this wrong?”<\/p>\n

\n

“I wanna keep the country calm. I don\u2019t want panic in the country. I could cause panic much better than even you.<\/p>\n

It would make you look like a minor league player.”@realDonaldTrump<\/a> clashes with @Acosta<\/a> after being accused of “downplaying the crisis for months.” pic.twitter.com\/zhSPUIku6i<\/a><\/p>\n

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n