# The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Source

> A journalist and White House insider reveal the risks of overreliance on a trusted source.
- Title: The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Source · The New Yorker
- Summary: A journalist and White House insider reveal the risks of overreliance on a trusted source. Bob Woodward and Dick Darman's close friendship led to a public…
- Keywords: bob woodward, dick darman, white house, reagan, george h w bush, budget director, economic policy, journalism, political friendship, presidential crisis, politics, news
- Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/magazine/2026/10/26/the-danger-of-getting-too-close-to-a-source
- Author: Bob Woodward
- Published: 2026-10-19T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bob woodward, dick darman, white house, reagan, george h w bush, budget director, economic policy, journalism, political friendship, presidential crisis, politics, news
## Woodward meets Darman
Woodward first met Darman in 1973 during Watergate, a time Darman was Elliot Richardson's top aide.
## Darman's role in White House
Darman served as Reagan's staff secretary and later became Bush's director of the Office of Management and Budget.
## Darman as Woodward's source
Darman provided Woodward with confidential information on White House decision-making for over 20 years.
## Reagan shooting incident
In 1981, Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., and Darman revealed the FBI took his nuclear code card.
## Darman's political ambitions
Darman considered running for president in 1996, claiming he could present an economic plan better than Bush.
## Economic policy conflict
Darman and Woodward clashed over Woodward's planned economic series on Bush's policies before the 1992 election.
## Publication of economic series
Woodward published a four-part series on Bush's economic policies in October 1992, months before the election.
## Political fallout
Bush lost the 1992 election to Clinton after Woodward's series exposed economic policy failures.
## Ending the friendship
Woodward and Darman's friendship ended after Woodward published the economic series, despite their long history.
## Darman's death
Darman died in January 2008, months after Woodward last saw him in intensive care.
## Long-term impact
Woodward learned from Darman's death that close friendships with sources can lead to professional and personal consequences.
## Key takeaway

Bob Woodward and Dick Darman's close friendship led to a public conflict over economic reporting that ended their friendship.