
Thomas J. Barrack Jr. (far left) greets Donald Trump, then the president-elect, before his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Thomas J. Barrack Jr. (far left) greets Donald Trump, then the president-elect, before his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Which of President Donald Trump's close associates will actually go on record publicly to say what appears to be, according to reporting by journalists, a rather more common thing said privately: that the man is not only unstable, but also dumb?
While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson dodged at his chance to deny outright that he called his boss a "fucking moron" following a top-level foreign policy meeting last year, a forthcoming book by journalist Michael Wolff alleges that one of Trump's closest personal friends and allies, fellow billionaire Thomas Barrack Jr., once said of the president, "He's not only crazy, he's stupid."
In a separate section of the book, according to an excerpt published by New York Magazine, billionaire media mogul and FOX News owner Rupert Murdoch also expressed exasperation with Trump's mental capacities and reportedly called him a "fucking idiot" after a phone call with the man who is now president.
Barrack's comment, which Wolff attributes as one made to another friend, comes from reporting the Guardian on Wednesday which had a look at the new book--called "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"--due out next week.
As the Washington Post reported last year, "Few people are closer to Trump than Barrack, his friend for three decades."
In the wake of the quotation's publication, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported via Twitter that she spoke with Barrack directly and he denied ever making such a comment about Trump.
"Totally false," Barrack told Haberman by phone. "It's clear to anyone who knows me that those aren't my words and inconsistent with anything I've ever said."
In the thread under Haberman's tweets, however, many indicated that Barrack's denial might not mean much given his professed loyalty and friendship with Trump. For example:
\u201c@maggieNYT I believe him, because Trump and his pals never lie.\u201d— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1514991692
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Which of President Donald Trump's close associates will actually go on record publicly to say what appears to be, according to reporting by journalists, a rather more common thing said privately: that the man is not only unstable, but also dumb?
While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson dodged at his chance to deny outright that he called his boss a "fucking moron" following a top-level foreign policy meeting last year, a forthcoming book by journalist Michael Wolff alleges that one of Trump's closest personal friends and allies, fellow billionaire Thomas Barrack Jr., once said of the president, "He's not only crazy, he's stupid."
In a separate section of the book, according to an excerpt published by New York Magazine, billionaire media mogul and FOX News owner Rupert Murdoch also expressed exasperation with Trump's mental capacities and reportedly called him a "fucking idiot" after a phone call with the man who is now president.
Barrack's comment, which Wolff attributes as one made to another friend, comes from reporting the Guardian on Wednesday which had a look at the new book--called "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"--due out next week.
As the Washington Post reported last year, "Few people are closer to Trump than Barrack, his friend for three decades."
In the wake of the quotation's publication, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported via Twitter that she spoke with Barrack directly and he denied ever making such a comment about Trump.
"Totally false," Barrack told Haberman by phone. "It's clear to anyone who knows me that those aren't my words and inconsistent with anything I've ever said."
In the thread under Haberman's tweets, however, many indicated that Barrack's denial might not mean much given his professed loyalty and friendship with Trump. For example:
\u201c@maggieNYT I believe him, because Trump and his pals never lie.\u201d— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1514991692
Which of President Donald Trump's close associates will actually go on record publicly to say what appears to be, according to reporting by journalists, a rather more common thing said privately: that the man is not only unstable, but also dumb?
While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson dodged at his chance to deny outright that he called his boss a "fucking moron" following a top-level foreign policy meeting last year, a forthcoming book by journalist Michael Wolff alleges that one of Trump's closest personal friends and allies, fellow billionaire Thomas Barrack Jr., once said of the president, "He's not only crazy, he's stupid."
In a separate section of the book, according to an excerpt published by New York Magazine, billionaire media mogul and FOX News owner Rupert Murdoch also expressed exasperation with Trump's mental capacities and reportedly called him a "fucking idiot" after a phone call with the man who is now president.
Barrack's comment, which Wolff attributes as one made to another friend, comes from reporting the Guardian on Wednesday which had a look at the new book--called "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"--due out next week.
As the Washington Post reported last year, "Few people are closer to Trump than Barrack, his friend for three decades."
In the wake of the quotation's publication, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported via Twitter that she spoke with Barrack directly and he denied ever making such a comment about Trump.
"Totally false," Barrack told Haberman by phone. "It's clear to anyone who knows me that those aren't my words and inconsistent with anything I've ever said."
In the thread under Haberman's tweets, however, many indicated that Barrack's denial might not mean much given his professed loyalty and friendship with Trump. For example:
\u201c@maggieNYT I believe him, because Trump and his pals never lie.\u201d— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1514991692