If you want to read a book about Trump and discuss it with someone who sees the president differently than you, this is the book to buy. “Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of An Extraordinary Presidency,” by CBS News’ Major Garrett. He’s the chief White House correspondent and host of “The Takeout” podcast.
"I don’t try to tell people to .. set aside their emotional reaction, pro or con, to this administration. What I do try to provide is a resource that tells you the most important things from my perspective, that happened, why they happened, and of those things, what are likely to be with the country for many years to come, whatever the duration of the Trump presidency is.”
It’s a book that is often critical of Trump but in a way that might be heard by Trump supporters. And it’s a book that confronts Trump critics with the reality that the president has had some accomplishments, as much as they often don’t want to admit it. Garrett often finds that Trump’s accomplishments are far less than what the president has said, or will have negative impacts that his supporters are not aware of. But he doesn’t shy away from thinking about the Trump presidency as consequential.
1:00 — Why Major wanted to represent the voices and perspective of Trump voters in his analysis
5:10 — Why he wrote some passages from the point of view of Trump supporters or advisers, and other passages with a more critical voice.
6:54 — Why Major wanted most of his sources to be named in the book. There is one anonymous quote in the book.
9:07 — How covering the Trump presidency has been like experiencing a form of trauma.
13:07 — Major on how there are certain things we must “appreciate” about this administration in that they are facts. That doesn’t mean one must like them, but they should be recognized.
18:11 — What did Trump voters hear when Trump talked about “the wall”?
21:18 — Why Major thinks it’s a mistake to liberally use the “racist” label.
26:30 — How American politics is more about image than fact, and has been for some time, and what electing our first “fully-formed celebrity” says about America.
28:54 — Major talks about hearing that Bob Woodward’s book would be released one week before his, and what he thinks his book does that Woodward’s does not.
31:56 — Major talks about his chapter on Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and his interview with Jared Kushner about his relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and how all of this has impacted the U.S. government’s response to the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
44:37 — Major on his chapter about regulation, and how Trump’s own budget office has found that regulations provide order for markets and often bring positive economic impact that outweighs the economic cost of the regulation by between 3 to 8 times as much.
47:45 — How the GOP tax bill is likely a temporary sugar high for the economy that is contributing to unsustainable debt levels.
52:57 — How dysfunction in Congress has hurt the U.S. military
55:23 — Trump has not shown a leadership instinct to bring Americans together and lead them toward a common goal
Lightning round
58:30 — Major on the Mueller probe
59:06 — What happens if Democrats take the House in the midterm elections on Nov. 6?
1:00 — Major on Trump’s physical constitution, what makes him tick, and how he loves to use his “crazy” against opponents
1:01 — Major on whether Jeff Flake will run for president in 2020 as a challenger from the...
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CBS News' Major Garrett on his new book, "Mr. Trump's Wild Ride"