As President Trump continues to try to discredit Bob Woodward’s new book, CNN is taking a different approach.
On Thursday, the broadcaster published a letter that was reportedly stolen from Trump’s desk last September.
CNN reports that they received an advance copy of Woodward’s book, which included a reproduction of the letter. Earlier excerpts of the book suggested that top Trump administration officials have actively sought to prevent the president from making decisions that could hurt the country.
According to the network, Woodward writes that in one such instance then-National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn stole a letter from Trump’s desk that would have led to the termination of the free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea.
The letter, which CNN printed in full, is addressed to the South Korean president and trade minister. It reads:
The United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (Agreement), in its current form, is not in the overall bests interests of the United States Economy. Thus, in accordance with Article 24.5 of the Agreement, the United States hereby provide notice that it wishes to terminate the Agreement.
Woodward wrote in his book that Cohn was “appalled” that Trump might sign the letter, and reportedly said, “I stole it off his desk. I wouldn’t let him see it. He’s never going to see that document. Got to protect the country.” Cohn and other staffers reportedly worried that ending the trade agreement could jeopardize a program that is used to detect North Korean missile launches.
For his part, Trump has continued to refute the content of the book. He took to Twitter on Friday morning, writing, “The Woodward book is a scam. I don’t talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President. These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle. I wish the people could see the real facts – and our country is doing GREAT!”
