CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem is the author of "Security Mom: My Life Protecting the Home and Homeland." She is a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, a former assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Obama administration and CEO of Zemcar. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. View more opinion articles on CNN.

(CNN) Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear," is the story of an unstable President and a chaotic White House.

In the run-up to its publication next Tuesday and beyond, expect much debate, blame, denials, pontifications, and tweets (definitely, tweets) either refuting or supporting what the book offers as evidence. That is accounts from President Donald Trump's own staff that he is unable to grasp policy, is endangering the country and unwilling to acknowledge the depth of his legal vulnerabilities.

This is the story of President Trump. It is the story of the White House.

It is also -- sadly -- the story of us, America.

The passages released so far are not just about the content of private discussions or the substantive debates over national and homeland security. They describe internal processes that are so dysfunctional, so mercurial, so back-stabbing and destructive that other nations and their leaders -- whether ally or enemy -- will see in them more proof of an unreliable partner. That partner is us.

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