President Trump extended his feud with Steve Bannon on Saturday, saying that his former chief strategist’s decision to speak with author Michael Wolff at the White House is part of why he’s “now looking for a job.”
The comments came after a string of tweets from the president earlier Saturday morning and Friday night where he defended his mental stability and slammed Bannon, who he alleged cried when he lost his job at the White House and was “dumped like a dog.” Trump also took issue with the libel laws in the U.S., saying they are “very weak” and that issues like the those surrounding Wolff wouldn’t be an issue if they were tougher.
“I don’t know this man. I guess sloppy Steve brought him into the White House quite a bit, and it was one of those things,” Trump said during a media availability with congressional leaders at Camp David. “That’s why sloppy Steve is now looking for a job.”
“I consider it a work of fiction,” Trump said of Fire and Fury, Wolff’s book, which has gripped Washington since excerpts emerged earlier in the week. “I think it’s a disgrace that somebody’s able to have something, do something like that. The libel laws are very week in this country. If they were strong, it would be very helpful. You wouldn’t have things like that happen where you can say whatever comes to your head.”
President Trump on #FireAndFury: “The libel laws are very weak in this country. If they were strong … you wouldn't have things like that happen where you can say whatever comes to your head.” https://t.co/Wh1BDY3wJ1 pic.twitter.com/r98upxFB3T— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2018
Trump pointed to Wolff’s book about News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch, which he labeled a “terrible expose and false.” He also called Wolff a “fraud” and said that claims that he spoke with him for three hours are inaccurate.
“It didn’t exist. It’s in his imagination,” he said.
President Trump responds to question about tweets on his mental fitness: “[Michael Wolff] said he interviewed me for 3 hours in the White House. It didn't exist, OK? It is in his imagination.” https://t.co/Wh1BDY3wJ1 pic.twitter.com/fLlAtLcVpO— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2018
Following up on his tweets about his mental state, Trump continued to tout his educational and professional bonafides. In a trio of tweets, Trump declared himself to be a “very stable genius.”
