I finished Bob Woodward and Robert Costa’s book, Peril1, which is an account of the last days of the Trump presidency and the first days of the Biden administration. It really does provide a disturbing portrait of a man (Trump) who was willing to do anything to cling to power. What is particularly disturbing is the fact that so many of those close to Trump tried to talk him in to accepting the loss of his presidency gracefully and yet, it seemed like the more they tried to persuade him, the further he descended into the abyss of the ‘Big Lie’ while surrounding himself with sycophants who only accelerated his maniacal obsession with overturning the election.
The passages in the book describing the pressure that he and his acolytes put on Vice President Pence to do something that was clearly unconstitutional is quite disturbing. Pence reached out to a wide range of people, including former Vice President, Dan Quayle, and constitutional lawyers to see if there was any possible way that he had the power to do what Trump was asking him to do and they universally said, “No.” Trump, however, refused to acknowledge that fact and, in true Trump fashion, threw Mike Pence under the bus after Pence had been one of the most loyal of VPs.
There are multiple incidents in the book that demonstrate very clearly that Trump’s idea of ‘loyalty’ is a one-way street. As long as people agree with him or are willing to do his bidding, regardless of the legality of such actions, he is supportive. But the second he perceives that someone is not willing to agree with him or do his dirty work, he turns on them in a heartbeat. And, after that, it’s often about seeking vengeance.
In some respects, Trump reminds me of a character who could be a villain in a James Bond movie. The portrait painted in this book and in previous books I’ve read paint a picture of an egomaniacal man who is obsessed with power and is willing to crush anyone who he believes stands in his way. There is a quote in the book from Brad Parscale, Trump’s former campaign manager. “He had an army. An army for Trump. He wants that back. I don’t think he sees it as a comeback. He sees it as vengeance.” Some might think that is hyperbole but if Trump were to return to the White House in 2024, I believe we will all get a first hand look at what vengeance looks like.
The book also follows the Biden administration in the first few weeks of its tenure. And, lest you think this book is just a hit job on Trump and will go easy on Biden, you would be wrong. Woodward is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and Costas is an acclaimed political reporter for The Washington Post and pretty much tell it like it is. Consequently, they also talk about some of the stumbles and problems that confronted the Biden administration as they took over. They certainly don’t paint Biden as the perfect president and show him as the human being he is, with all of his faults. However, the contrast between Trump and Biden could not be more distinct. It is clear that Joe Biden clearly cares about America and all Americans whereas, it is very clear that Trump cares about Trump. And, therein lies the ‘Peril’. It is very clear that Trump is willing to sacrifice the US Constitution and the Rule of Law in his quest for power.
Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people for this book, including many who were witnesses to the inner workings of the White House (both the Trump White House and the Biden White House) during this time. They have a lot of credibility as authors and I think the book is worth a read as both a chronicle of what happened during this period and potentially a harbinger of things to come if Trump runs and regains the White House in 2024.
- Peril, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, Simon and Schuster, 2021
Good book. Trump’s cult will never read it. They are all driven by cult worship and the Republican Party is driven by fear of what Trump would do to them if they were disloyal.