US Politics: New book portrays chaos in White House

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03:30

US President Donald Trump has lashed out over an explosive new book about his administration. It paints a disturbing picture of a dysfunctional White House and a leader unable to cope with the demands of the office. CGTN's Jim Spellman reports that sales are already through the roof.

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON DC "Fear hits the shelves in bookstores today. It is already the number one best seller on Amazon."

The book is based on more than a hundred interviews with White House insiders who portray President Trump as uninformed, irrational and erratic. Veteran reporter Bob Woodward paints a picture of a presidency in crisis.

BOB WOODWARD AUTHOR, 'FEAR: TRUMP IN THE WHITE HOUSE' "You look at the operation of this White House, and you have to say 'let's hope to god we don't have a crisis'."

Woodward quotes Chief of Staff John Kelly, saying of Trump: "He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in Crazytown." Kelly denies saying this.

Defense Secretary James Mattis is quoted to say the president has the understanding of "a fifth- or sixth-grader." After Trump came close to impulsively withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea. Mattis also denies saying this.

One-time Economic Adviser Gary Cohn and former aide Rob Porter were so concerned Trump would withdraw from trade agreements the book says they removed documents from the president's desk to prevent him from signing them.

The book comes as the Robert Mueller led Special Counsel Investigation heats up. According to Woodward, Trump's one time lawyer John Dowd tried to prep the president for an interview with Mueller, but quickly concluded Trump couldn't make it through questioning without contradicting himself or outright lying. The next day Dowd quit.

Trump is now attacking the book and its author.

But members of past administrations featured in Woodwards books, Democrats and Republicans, are vouching for Woodward's reporting.

He came to prominence during the Watergate scandal. He was portrayed by Robert Redford in "All the President's Men"-a film based on his reporting with Carl Bernstein at The Washington Post that led to President Nixon resigning in 1974. Woodward and Bernstein used an anonymous source known as Deepthroat in their Watergate reporting.

The Trump administration now has its own Deep Throat of sorts-the anonymous "Senior Administration Official" who penned a New York Times Op-Ed entitled: "I Am Part of the Resistance inside the Trump Administration."

The author writes: "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't."

Most top Trump Administration officials deny they are behind the article. Taken together, the Op-Ed, the Woodward book, and an endless string of news reports depict a dangerous president that has placed the U.S. at risk. Trump says he has done nothing wrong and is doing a great job. Jim Spellman, CGTN, Washington.