The desire to penetrate the inner workings of the White House is natural and understandable. Nevertheless, in a majority of the literature on U.S. presidents in recent decades, the personality and style of the man at the top of the pyramid is but a single layer in a broader and deeper analysis of their place in America's heritage and their impact on the nation's foreign and domestic policies.
So, for example, while we now know that behind the smiling, grandfatherly façade, President Dwight Eisenhower was a man who at times was filled with resentment and would often erupt in rage. Yet despite these fits of rage, his place in history as a president who, with a firm and steady hand, succeeded in steering the American superpower at the height of the Cold War is guaranteed for generations to come.
The same can be said of President Richard Nixon. While recordings of his conversations at the White House exposed his vile anti-Semitism and dishonest personality and ultimately led to his resignation in 1974, it would be wrong to ignore his diplomatic acumen and the sophisticated manner in which he acted, together with then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to create the blueprint for a new world order.
In contrast with the traditional approach that focuses on the essence and style of the presidency, journalist Michael Wolff's new book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" does not provide any real insight into the era of President Donald Trump.
Indeed, with less than one year having passed since Trump took office, what perspective does Wolff have that would allow him to assess and situate the current era as it falls along the historical continuum? Instead of trying to examine, albeit superficially, the decision-making processes inside the Trump administration, the author chooses to exclusively satisfy the public's voyeuristic urges regarding the 45th president.
The truth is that there is nothing novel about the book, because with the current media environment, saturated with leaks and overloaded with sources, Wolff's detailed reports on the president's work habits and fiery and vulgar style are yesterday's news, his "revelations" about the power struggles waged behind Trump's back nothing more than recycled pieces of trivia.
In light of all this, it is regrettable that Wolff did not take advantage of his proximity to the White House, even if it was temporary, in order to attempt to understand how Trump was nevertheless able to almost complete a full year in office without being caught in a whirlwind of controversy in the internal or strategic space?
Had the author taken an interest in something other than personal caprice and gossip, he could have identified the learning curve which has markedly improved ever since the appointment of retired general John Kelly to chief of staff, and toward the end of the year, resulted in Trump's greatest achievement so far: tax reform. The author might also have taken an interest in the skilled and experienced security cabinet, which functions as something of an effective shock absorber.
From this standpoint, it could be that Trump's most grave mistake was his decision to appoint Steve Bannon senior White House adviser, because despite his significant contribution to Trump's election victory, it quickly became clear that this quarrelsome and controversial man had poisoned the presidential work environment, as well as contributed to the composition of this sordid book, which will be judged by history and Wolff's readership.
