SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
This summer marked 50 years since the publication of "All The President's Men." Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's account of the Watergate break-in and ensuing cover-up by President Nixon and several members of his administration set a new standard for political journalism. And ever since, Woodward has been chronicling the behind-the-scenes moments and meetings and conversations of different White Houses. His books are deeply reported, and the 81-year-old author presents everything he's learned in lengthy and minute detail. And like many old-school journalists, he leaves it up to the reader to decide.
Woodward's latest book, "War," details how the Biden administration has navigated and managed Russia's war with Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas. But there's one thing about this book that differs from its predecessors. In its final sentence, Woodward draws a conclusion. He writes, quote, "based on the evidence available now, I believe President Biden and this team will be largely studied in history as an example of steady and purposeful leadership." That's the end of the quote. This is something I asked him about when he came into our studios to talk about "War" last week.
In an epilogue, you kind of give your conclusion to all of it. I've read just about all of your books, and I didn't remember you weighing in in that way before.
BOB WOODWARD: No. That's quite correct. I tried to - but this was so clear. And maybe - not maybe. I definitely am getting older. And as I go around and say, what do you think?
DETROW: Yeah.
WOODWARD: What's your - and, you know, and the reportorial curtain comes down. Oh, I'm just a reporter. I'm just a reporter. I think, in this case, because I was able to get enough detail about the sequences, that it was almost an obligation to tell people, yeah, this is what I think.
DETROW: Washington politics has changed so much since you started writing about presidents. Has that changed the way that you report these books?
WOODWARD: No. I mean, the way to report the book is to report the book and keep calling people, keep doing it, keep going back. Keep trying to make sure you give people an opportunity and to state their experience, and get notes and documents. And take readers as close as possible to not just the language, but the emotions that are emitted in these debates.
DETROW: Do you think it's changed the way people read these books or changed the effect of the books on the political scene?
WOODWARD: It's a big question. I don't know.
DETROW: 'Cause we just seem to be in a world where very few new revelations seem to affect the political consensus.
WOODWARD: Well, that's - yeah. That's fine, but no, I think they do.
DETROW: Yeah.
WOODWARD: I mean, there's - in this book is the information that was not known about Trump sending the COVID testing machines - not just the tests, but the machines - to Putin and the discussion he has with Putin about this. And Putin says, you know, don't tell anyone. And Trump - oh, I don't care. Putin says, no, don't tell anyone because - and he's looking out. This is an alliance, and, of course, what did they do? Cover it up.
DETROW: Yeah.
WOODWARD: I noticed Vice President Harris picked up on this. You could just see her emotions about - here we are, in this epidemic, and the president of the United States is taking expensive, coveted testing machines and sending them to Putin and Russians. And then they cover it up. They agree, let - you know, as is always said, the cover-up is often worse than the crime.
DETROW: Yeah. I want to end by going back to something that my - an interview you did with my colleague, Mary Louise Kelly, when your book "Rage" came out in 2020. You seemed to indicate at that time that sometimes you questioned why you kept getting drawn back into doing another one of these books and keep going at it, and I'm curious how you're thinking about that now. Are you already thinking, there's a new president coming in in a few months, I better get back to work? Or how are you thinking about that question?
WOODWARD: I'm thinking about I need to get back to work.
DETROW: That's journalist Bob Woodward. His latest book, out today, is "War." Thank you so much for coming in.
WOODWARD: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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