Bob Woodward book says Trump offered advice to a friend who admitted 'bad behavior' toward women: 'Deny, deny, deny'

Allan Smith

  • President Donald Trump offered up some advice to a friend who admitted "bad behavior" toward women, journalist Bob Woodward reports in his new book.

  • "You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," he told the person, Woodward wrote in his book, "Fear: Trump in the White House."

President Donald Trump offered up some advice to a friend who admitted he behaved poorly with women: "Deny, deny, deny" the allegations.

That's according to the explosive new book from journalist Bob Woodward, "Fear: Trump in the White House."

"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," he told the person, who was not named, Woodward reported. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made. You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness. You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."

Woodward, of Watergate fame, included that reporting in a section of the book on Trump's relationship with his wife, Melania. Woodward wrote that Melania's primary concern was the couple's son, Barron.

Business Insider obtained a copy of the book, published by Simon & Schuster and set to be released Tuesday.

"She's obsessed with Barron," one person told Woodward. "That is her focus 100%."

Woodward wrote that those who traveled with Trump regularly noticed that the couple shares a sincere affection, though Melania operated independently from Trump.

"They ate dinner together at times, spent some time together; but they never really seemed to merge their lives," Woodward wrote.

Trump has publicly defended members of his staff and prominent Republicans who have been accused of wrongdoing by women. Trump stood up for former staff secretary Rob Porter, who was accused of spousal abuse by both of his ex-wives. They provided The Daily Mail with photographic evidence they said backed up their claims, which Porter has denied.

Trump also defended former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who was running for an Alabama vacancy and was accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with teenagers when he was in his 30s.

Trump himself has faced accusations of sexual misconduct more than a dozen women during the 2016 presidential election. Trump denied those claims and insisted the women were lying.

Trump has taken aim at the Woodward book, repeatedly slamming it as "fiction" and "a scam" on Twitter.

Here are more details from the book so far:

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SEE ALSO: Bob Woodward's book lays out how one New York Times story changed the entire course of the Trump campaign

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