Trump-Putin calls, Biden’s beefs: 7 newsy nuggets from Woodward’s new book

Veteran reporter Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book “War” is generating headlines, most notably with the revelation that former President Trump had a number of conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin after leaving the White House.

The report, denied by the former president’s campaign, is one of a few surprises in the book, which is set to be released Oct. 15.

Excerpts of it were obtained and published by CNN on Tuesday. 

Here are seven newsy nuggets from Woodward’s new book: 

Trump’s calls with Putin, sending COVID-19 test

Woodward wrote that Trump has been in touch with Putin after leaving office in 2021, and that he specifically had multiple calls with the Russian leader and sent him COVID-19 tests. 

The Watergate reporter wrote there were as many as seven phone calls between Putin and Trump, according to a Trump aide, CNN reported. Woodward described an instance at Mar-a-Lago when the former president told a senior aide to leave so “he could have what he said was a private phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Woodward wrote that when he asked Jason Miller, Trump’s senior adviser, if Trump had talked with Putin since leaving the Oval Office in 2021, Miller said “um, ah, not that, ah, not that I’m aware of.” 

“I have not heard that they’re talking, so I’d push back on that,” Miller added, according to Woodward. 

The Watergate journalist also wrote that in 2020, Trump “secretly sent Putin a bunch of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use.”

According to Woodward, Putin told the former president not to tell anybody about it. Trump, in response, said “I don’t care … fine.”

Trump’s campaign pushed back on the reporting, saying it consists of “made up stories” and that the former president did not grant Woodward access as he did for his previous books. 

Steven Cheung, the communications director for the Trump campaign, said Woodward “suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” 

Biden bad-mouthing Netanyahu

Woodward wrote that President Biden bad-mouthed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to one of his associates in the spring of this year, calling him “That son of a b‑‑‑‑, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy. He’s a bad f‑‑‑ing guy”

Woodward described the evolving relationship between Biden and the Israeli prime minister, with the U.S. president standing behind Israel publicly but feuding with its leader in private over the country’s military operation in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack. 

“What’s your strategy, man?” Biden asked Netanyahu in April, according to Woodward.

“We have to go into Rafah,” Netanyahu said.

“Bibi, you’ve got no strategy,” Biden said.

The two leaders also sparred over Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack in April. 

After Israel went into Rafah, the city in the south of Gaza, Biden privately said of Netanyahu, “He’s a f‑‑‑ing liar,” Woodward reported, according to CNN. 

The president reportedly yelled “Bibi, what the f‑‑‑?” when Israel assassinated a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut in July.

“You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor,” Biden told Netanyahu, according to Woodward.

The prime minister said the commander was “one of the leading terrorists.”

“We saw an opportunity and took it,” the prime minister said, according to Woodward. “The harder you hit, the more successful you’re going to be in the negotiation.”

Apart from assailing Netanyahu in private, Biden also had choice words about the prime minister’s associates, saying 18 out of 19 of them are “liars,” Woodward reported, according to The Washington Post, which also obtained a copy of the book.

Biden said he “should never have picked” Garland

In private, Biden told an associate that he should have not picked Merrick Garland to serve as attorney general, expressing anger over the legal cases his son, Hunter Biden, was involved in. 

“Should never have picked Garland,” Biden said, according to Woodward reporting that was published by CNN. “This is never going to f‑‑‑ing go away.” 

Biden says “Barack never took Putin seriously”

Woodward writes in the book about Biden’s criticism of former President Obama’s handling of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea. Biden thought Obama could have done more to prevent Putin from invading the peninsula. 

“They f‑‑‑ed up in 2014,” Biden told a friend, according to Woodward’s writing that was obtained by The Post. “That’s why we are here. We f‑‑‑ed it up. Barack never took Putin seriously.”

“We did nothing. We gave Putin a license to continue!” Biden said. 

“Well, I’m revoking his f‑‑‑ing license!”

US assessed 50 percent chance of Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine

The U.S., at one point, assessed there was a 50 percent chance Russia would use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Woodward reported, citing intelligence reports. 

Woodward wrote that Putin became so desperate seeing the losses his military was taking in Ukraine that he could resort to nuclear weapons.

During that time, Biden told his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to get in touch with Russian officials. 

“On all channels, get on the line with the Russians,” Biden told Sullivan, Woodward reported, according to CNN. “Tell them what we will do in response.” 

Woodward detailed a contentious 2022 call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russia’s then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. 

“If you did this, all the restraints that we have been operating under in Ukraine would be reconsidered,” Austin told Shoigu, Woodward wrote, according to CNN. “This would isolate Russia on the world stage to a degree you Russians cannot fully appreciate.”

“I don’t take kindly to being threatened,” Shoigu said, in response to which Austin said, “Mr. Minister. I am the leader of the most powerful military in the history of the world. I don’t make threats.”

MBS has burner phone for Trump, Sullivan

Woodward also wrote that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has burner phones, some of which he uses to talk to key Americans.

The phones came up, according to Woodward’s reporting, in a meeting the Saudi crown prince had with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in March. 

“Hey, let’s call Trump,” Graham told Crown Prince Mohammed, known as MBS.

An aide to the Saudi leader brought out a bag of burner phones Woodward wrote, noting that the crown prince has a bag of about 50, The Washington Post reported. One is labeled “JAKE SULLIVAN,” and another one “TRUMP 45.”

Blinken told Biden losing election would define his legacy

Over the summer, one of the top topics in U.S. politics was Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race following pressure from Democratic Party politicians.

Woodward wrote in his book that Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is a close ally of the president, talked with the commander in chief on the topic of dropping out of the race in July, after his disastrous debate with Trump. 

“I don’t want to see your legacy jeopardized. Anyone who is written about gets one sentence. That’s the legacy,” Blinken told Biden on July 4, Woodward reported, according to CNN. “If this decision leads you to staying in and winning reelection, great. If it leads to you staying in and losing reelection, that’s the sentence.”

“Can you see yourself doing it for another four years?” Blinken asked Biden, according to Woodward. “You’ve got to answer that question.”