A new book by Michael Wolff has caused a storm with explosive claims about life inside the Trump White House. The digested read of 'Fire and Fury' alleges that on election night in November 2016, Melania Trump wept with despair, sobbing that she would have to stay with the 'creep' for another four years.
The book paints a picture of a chaotic and dysfunctional administration, with President Trump described by aides as having the mental age of a five-year-old. It claims that Trump spent much of his early presidency playing video games and watching cartoons in the Oval Office, while senior advisor Steve Bannon described him as a 'f***ing idiot'.
White House infighting is also detailed, with two factions emerging: one loyal to Bannon and another to Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, known collectively as 'Javanka'. Both camps reportedly briefed Wolff on the president's instability and erratic behaviour.
The book further alleges that Trump once asked what 'shithole country' Japan was in, and that he would regularly make dubious claims about the size of his penis on Twitter. Bannon is said to have told Wolff that the president was 'near enough certifiable'.
The White House has dismissed the book as a work of fiction, but the publisher says it is based on extensive interviews with staff and associates of the president. The controversy has only added to the turmoil surrounding the Trump administration.
