Bob Woodward Believes Himself to be a D.C. Outsider

Robert Upshur “Bob” Woodward has been on the staff of the Washington Post since 1971, has authored 18 political tomes, and is half-responsible for perhaps the most famous work of investigative journalism of all time. Woodward regularly appears MSNBC and Fox News Sunday as a talking head, and he’s been decorated with just about every prize in journalism known to man. He probably has a spare room set up for him in the White House by now. And yet, in an interview with Slate’s Isaac Chotiner, Carl Bernstein’s better half reveals that he thinks of himself as something of a lone wolf, operating on the fringe:

You are seen as a Washington insider, an establishment person. Has the rise of Trump changed the way you view the process or shaken your faith in the wisdom of a governing elite to make things work?

No, no. Look, I’ve always been an outsider. I scramble hard to preserve my outsider status, if you will. Sometimes people agree, or sometimes people disagree, but I’m not—

You really see yourself as an outsider?

I do.

That’s interesting.

I do. Well, look at the books. People have said I’m a Republican, people have said I’m a Democrat, I’m from the right, I’m from the left. If you go through, people will make arguments, but I’m just trying to be factual.

Sure, Bob. Sure.