WASHINGTON 鈥� An upcoming book by journalist Bob Woodward says U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 chief of staff privately called Trump an 鈥渋diot鈥� and aides plucked sensitive documents off the president鈥檚 desk to keep him from taking rash actions.
The book is the latest tell-all to roil the Trump administration with explosive anecdotes and concerns about the commander in chief. The on Tuesday published details from 鈥淔ear: Trump in the White House,鈥� the Watergate reporter鈥檚 forthcoming examination of Trump鈥檚 first 18 months in office.
Chief of Staff John Kelly is quoted as having doubted Trump鈥檚 mental faculties, declaring during one meeting, 鈥淲e鈥檙e in Crazytown.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 former lawyer in the Russia probe, John Dowd, is also said to have doubted Trump鈥檚 ability to avoid perjuring himself should he be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller.
鈥淒on鈥檛 testify. It鈥檚 either that or an orange jumpsuit,鈥� Dowd is quoted telling the president.
And Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is quoted explaining to Trump why the U.S. maintains troops on the South Korean peninsula to monitor the North鈥檚 missile activities. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing this in order to prevent World War III,鈥� Mattis says.
Woodward recounts that Mattis told 鈥渃lose associates that the president acted like 鈥� and had the understanding of 鈥� 鈥榓 fifth- or sixth-grader.鈥欌��
Woodward also claims that Gary Cohn, the former director of the National Economic Council, boasted of removing papers off Trump鈥檚 desk to prevent their signature, including efforts by the president to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The White House didn鈥檛 immediately respond to a request for comment.
The publication of Woodward鈥檚 book has been anticipated for weeks, and current and former White House officials estimate that nearly all of their colleagues cooperated with the noted journalist, who cut his teeth bringing down Richard Nixon鈥檚 presidency during Watergate.
But Trump did not speak to Woodward until after the book鈥檚 manuscript was completed. The Post released audio of Trump expressing surprise about the book in an August conversation with Woodward. Woodward tells Trump he had contacted multiple officials to attempt to interview Trump and was rebuffed.
The book follows the January release of author Michael Wolff鈥檚 鈥淔ire and Fury,鈥� which led to a rift between Trump and Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist who spoke with Wolff in terms highly critical of the president and his family. Wolff鈥檚 book attracted attention with its vivid anecdotes, but suffered from numerous factual inaccuracies.
Woodward鈥檚 work also comes weeks after former White House aide and 鈥淎pprentice鈥� contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman published an expose on her time in the West Wing, including audio recordings of her firing by Kelly and a follow-on conversation with the president in which he claimed to have been unaware of Kelly鈥檚 decision.
Trump has been increasingly critical of anonymous sources used by reporters covering his administration. Woodward鈥檚 account relies on so-called 鈥渄eep background鈥� conversations with sources, in which their identities are not disclosed.
