Trump book will 'bring down' the President, claims author Michael Wolff

APD NEWS

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The author of a controversial book that is highly critical of Donald Trump's first year in the White House has claimed his revelations will eventually "bring down" the US President.

Michael Wolff made the claim in an interview with the BBC, responding Mr Trump's description of his book as "boring and untruthful".

Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House quotes aides as saying Mr Trump has a short attention span, often repeats himself and refuses to read briefing notes.

Mr Wolff told BBC radio that "one of the interesting effects of the book so far is a very clear emperor-has-no-clothes effect."

Speaking on Radio 4, he added: "The story that I have told seems to present this presidency in such a way that it says he can't do his job."

"Suddenly everywhere people are going, 'Oh my God, its true, he has no clothes'. That's the background to the perception and the understanding that will finally end ... this presidency."

Mr Wolff has said he wrote the book after conducting about 200 interviews.

But Mr Trump has criticised the book as inaccurate and its author as a "loser" who had little access to the President and mostly relied on Steve Bannon, his former top aide and chief strategist.

The US President wrote: "Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book."

"He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!"

Mr Wolff said many of those close to Mr Trump describe him as a "moron", an "idiot" and "like a child".

He told NBC: "They all say he is like a child.

"And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It's all about him... they say he's a moron. An idiot."

Author: Staff say Trump's an idiot

Mr Wolff claims Mr Bannon - who was sacked by Mr Trump in August - questioned Mr Trump's fitness for office.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended Mr Trump's mental fitness, responding to claims in the book.

In an interview with CNN, Mr Tillerson said: "I've never questioned his mental fitness. I've had no reason to question his mental fitness.

"He is not a typical President of the past, I think that's well-recognised. That's also why the American people chose him."

Mr Tillerson dismissed suggestions that his stint as top US diplomat is coming to an end, amid reports of a rocky relationship with Mr Trump.

"I intend to be here for the whole year," he said.

Last year, he reportedly described the President as a "moron" after a national security meeting, a claim denied by his office.

According to the book, the President is regarded as an "idiot" by treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Mr Trump's lawyers tried to block publication of the book, before publishers brought the release date forward.

Wolff also says Mr Trump, 71, did not want to win the 2016 presidential election because losing would offer "a far more powerful brand and untold opportunities".

But Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this was "ridiculous", adding that Mr Trump and his family "would not have put themselves through" the campaign if they did not want to win.

Wolff said he spoke to Mr Trump after his inauguration and "spent about three hours with the President over the course of the campaign in the White House, so my window into Donald Trump is pretty significant".

He added: "I spoke to people who spoke to the President on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis."

(SKYNEWS)