MEDIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump wanted to have Syrian President Bashar al-Assad assassinated last year but his defense secretary ignored the request, according to a new book that depicts top Trump aides sometimes sidestepping instructions to limit what they see as his damaging and dangerous behavior. Excerpts from the book, entitled ‘Fear’ and written by famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward, were published by the Washington Post on Tuesday [9-4-18]. The book, which has not yet been released, is the latest to detail tensions within the White House under Trump’s 20-month-old presidency. The book portrays Trump as prone to profane outbursts and impulsive decision-making, painting a picture of chaos that Woodward says amounts to an ‘administrative coup d’etat’ and a ‘nervous breakdown’ of the executive branch.”
–Andy Sullivan, “Trump wanted Syrian president assassinated, new book says,” Reuters, September 4, 2018 12:02 pm