Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The White House has denied many of the claims made in the book
Donald Trump called James Comey a rat before firing him, was confused by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and trusts women more than men, according to a controversial, new book.
Journalist Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House also claims the president prefers to call his billionaire friends late at night.
Mr Trump contends he never spoke to Wolff, dismissing his book as "full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist". But the author has stood by his account, insisting he had access and that he believes the president has no credibility.
Here are 10 more explosive revelations from Wolff's purported inside portrait of the Trump White House.
1) Trump doesn't know what the KKK believes in anymore
After protests in Charlottesville turned deadly in August, Mr Trump controversially condemned "hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides". He quickly came under attack for not explicitly condemning avowed racists and hate groups like the KKK.
In a televised statement, he called racism evil and told the country, "we must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans". But Wolff claims he still struggled to understand the incident.
Privately, he kept trying to rationalize why someone would be a member of the KKK—that is, they might not actually believe what the KKK believed, and the KKK probably does not believe what it used to believe, and, anyway, who really knows what the KKK believes now? In fact, he said, his own father was accused of being involved with the KKK—not true. (In fact, yes, true.) (pg 294)
2) Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were terrified by then FBI director James Comey
In the new book, Mr Trump reportedly called Mr Comey a rat while former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon allegedly told Wolff that Ivanka Trump was terrified where the FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling into the election would lead.
"The kids" - Jared and Ivanka - exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ivanka Trump was reportedly terrified that the family's finances would come under scrutiny
Mr Kushner reportedly pushed for Mr Comey's removal, which Mr Trump allegedly handled without his top aides.
The president appeared to want people to believe he had, in an act of strength, taken down the FBI director for personal reasons, according to Wolff.
The president, in order to avoid embracing conventional process… merely eliminated everybody else from his process. For most of the day almost no one would know that he had decided to take matters into his own hands. In presidential annals, the firing of FBI director James Comey may be the most consequential move ever made by a modern president acting entirely on his own. (pg 214)
3)Trump boasted about engineering a coup in Saudi Arabia
In Mr Trump's first foreign trip abroad, he visited Saudi Arabia where he secured a $110bn (£81bn) arms deal for the US. The Saudis threw a $75m (£55m) party in his honour and drove the first family around in gold golf carts, according to the book.
Despite a long-standing relationship with then Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef (referred to as MBN in the book), Mr Kushner developed a relationship with 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), according to Wolff.
Mohammed bin Salman was invited to visit the White House in March.
MBS was using this Trump embrace as part of his own power play in the kingdom. And the Trump White House, ever denying this was the case, let him.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House in March
Mohammed bin Salman allegedly promised Mr Trump that deals that would be announced during his scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia, a few weeks later.
Within weeks of the trip, MBS, detaining MBN quite in the dead of night, would force him to relinquish to the Crown Prince title, which MBS would then assume for himself. Trump would tell friends that he and Jared had engineered a Saudi coup: "we've put our man on top." (pg 231)
4) Trump trusts women more than men
Although Mr Trump demonstrates what Wolff calls "conventional" misogyny, he is reportedly much closer to women than men in the workplace.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ivanka Trump and Kellyanne Conway are two of Trump's top aides
According to the book, Mr Trump confides in women but holds men at an arm's length.
Women, according to Trump, were simply more loyal and trustworthy than men. Men might be more forceful and competent, but they were also more likely to have their own agendas. Women, by their nature, or Trump's version of their nature, were more likely to focus their purpose on a man. A man like Trump. (pg 200)
5) Bannon tried to banish McMaster to Afghanistan
While at the White House, Bannon allegedly grew increasingly frustrated by national security adviser HR McMaster's views on the 16-year war in Afghanistan. According to Wolff, Bannon saw the general as too closely aligned with liberals and establishment Republicans, and threatened to send him away.
"McMaster wants to send more troops to Afghanistan, so we're going to send him," said a triumphal Bannon. In Bannon's scenario, Trump would give McMaster a fourth star and 'promote' him to top military commander in Afghanistan. (pg 265)
6) Trump declined to nominate John Bolton because of his moustache
It has been speculated Mr Trump was not a fan of John Bolton's facial hair, which could have hindered the former UN ambassador's chance at secretary of state. Wolff appeared to support this account by quoting Bannon during a dinner party conversation with Roger Ailes, as the two discussed who would serve in Mr Trump's cabinet.
"Bolton's mustache is a problem," snorted Bannon. "Trump doesn't think he looks the part. You know Bolton is an acquired taste."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption John Bolton was an early contender for secretary of state
Wolff also reports that Mr Ailes said Mr Bolton got into trouble for fighting at a hotel and chasing women, to which Bannon allegedly replied:
"If I told Trump that, [Bolton] might have the job." (pg 5)
7) Trump eats McDonald's because he's afraid of being poisoned
According to the book, Mr Trump imposed strict rules on White House staff not to touch any of his personal items, especially his toothbrush. The president allegedly prefers to have his items remain where he leaves them - even dirty clothes on the floor. These rules, according to Wolff, are due to his fears of getting poisoned.
He had a long-time fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's—nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade. (pg 85)
8) The president asked for locks on his bedroom door
In addition to asking for two additional television sets for his bedroom, Mr Trump broke with tradition by asking for a lock on his bedroom door. He is also the first president since John F Kennedy to sleep in a separate bedroom from his wife.
In the first days he ordered two television screens in addition to the one already there, and a lock on the door, precipitating a brief standoff with the Secret Service, who insisted they have access to the room. (pg 84)
9) Trump learned of chemical attacks in Syria from a PowerPoint presentation made by Ivanka
The Trump administration was praised for carrying out a missile strike against a Syrian air base in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in early April.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Trump delivers a statement on the Syrian military strike from his Mar-a-Lago estate Florida in April
But Wolff alleges it had less to do with Mr McMaster's guidance and more to do with Ivanka Trump's visual presentation, which featured photos of the chemical attacks in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
Ivanka had long ago figured out how to make successful pitches to her father. You had to push his enthusiasm buttons.
When the two women showed the presentation to the president, he went through it several times. He seemed mesmerized.
Watching the president's response, Bannon saw Trumpism melting before his eyes. Trump—despite his visceral resistance to the establishment ass-covering and standard-issue foreign policy expertise that had pulled the country into hopeless wars—was putty. After seeing all the horrifying photos he immediately adopted a completely conventional point of view: it seemed inconceivable to him that we could not do something. (pg 191)
10) The president's senior aides question his intelligence
The most prolific theme in the book, according to Wolff's reporting, is that even those closest to Mr Trump question his intelligence and ability to lead the country.
Everyone, in his or her own way, struggled to express the baldly obvious fact that the president did not know enough, did not know what he didn't know, did not particularly care, and to boot, was confident if not serene in his unquestioned certitudes.
For Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, he was an "idiot." For Gary Cohn, he was "dumb as shit." For H.R. McMaster he was a "dope." The list went on. (pg 304)
Read more
11 explosive claims from new Trump book
Russia-Trump: Who's who?
Does Donald Trump have a nuclear button?
How Trump cooled on Bannon
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption President Trump: "We didn't have an interview"
Donald Trump has rejected doubts over his mental health raised in a bombshell new book, describing the book as "fiction" and the author as a "fraud".
His remarks followed an earlier rebuttal on Twitter, in which the president claimed he was a "very stable genius" who was "like, very smart".
Michael Wolff's new book suggests that even the president's closest advisors question his fitness for office.
The row has overshadowed key talks on the Republican party's 2018 agenda.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with senior party members at Camp David on Saturday, the president disputed Mr Wolff's account, claiming it was a "work of fiction".
Addressing the questions about his mental capacity, he said: "I went to the best colleges, I had a situation where I was a very excellent student, came out and made billions and billions of dollars, became one of the top business people, went to television and for 10 years was a tremendous success, as you probably have heard."
He disputed Mr Wolff's claim of a three-hour on the record interview between the two. "It didn't exist, it's in his imagination," Mr Trump said, while acknowledging that he had been interviewed by the author at some point.
Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Report
The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, paints a picture of the president as impatient, unable to grasp policy, and prone to rambling and repeating himself.
The fallout from the book has loomed over the Camp David meeting - a gathering of key Republicans designed to thrash out legislative priorities for 2018.
Mr Trump gave a press conference at the presidential retreat, flanked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Vice-President Mike Pence and other senior Republicans.
The president, who has previously derided Camp David and opted instead to stay at his Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, told reporters that the retreat was a "very special place" with a "feeling you don't have in many places".
What's on the agenda?
While short on detail, the president said the gathered Republicans had "a couple of incredible meetings" and discussed "security, infrastructure, the military, all types of military situations".
On North Korea, he said he hoped rare talks between North and South Korea will go "beyond the Olympics," with the US joining the process at the "appropriate time."
He said the country would fight the scourge of drug addiction, and praised the success of countries that have treated the problem "harshly" - "those are the ones that have much less difficulty," he added.
He has previously praised the leader of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, over his drug policy. Mr Duterte has encouraged the extrajudicial executions of drug offenders by police and vigilantes.
On immigration, he said he hoped to work with the Democrats on a resolution to Daca, the so-called Dreamers programme for immigrants who came to the US as undocumented children, and reiterated that Mexico would in some way pay for his border wall.
The book everyone's talking about
Fire and Fury went on sale early on Friday, days ahead of its scheduled release, amid the president lawyers' attempts to block its publication. It has become an instant bestseller.
The book describes a Trump team shocked by their own win on election night, White House staffers saying Mr Trump's "mental powers were slipping", and senior administration officials calling Mr Trump an "idiot".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Michael Wolff tells the BBC that Donald Trump's team came to believe he could not function as president
It has also sparked a public rift between Mr Trump and his former aide Steve Bannon, who is quoted as accusing Mr Trump's eldest son Donald Jr of "treasonous" behaviour in meeting a group of Russians.
Mr Bannon and the author have both been the target of the president's ire over the past few days - the former cried when he lost his job last year, Mr Trump said; the latter had written a book "full of lies", he added.
On Friday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told CNN that he had "no reason to question" Mr Trump's mental fitness.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dozens queued for the release of Fire and Fury
Trump is not letting this one go
Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News Washington
Perceived slights, insults and questions about his intelligence. If Donald Trump's recent Twitter feed is any indication, these are the topics on the president's mind as he settles in for the night and when he rises in the morning.
Given the daunting tasks facing the administration and Congress in the coming weeks, some of his allies and aides at Camp David may view the president's concerns as misdirected.
That Mr Trump feels compelled to respond to criticism, however, should come as little surprise. This is particularly true when the topic is his intellect, the strength of which he frequently boasts.
In Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff recounts tales by White House aides of a president with a short attention span, bouncing from issue to issue like a pinball. In recent interviews, the author has said the president's aggressive reaction to his book proves this point.
It seems, however, that Mr Trump's counterattack is just getting started.
More on this story
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Michael Wolff told the BBC Mr Trump's mental health "is a subject of concern" in the White House
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says he has never doubted President Trump's mental health after a new book claimed staff saw him as a child.
Author Michael Wolff said White House employees believed Mr Trump's "mental powers were slipping".
His book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, went on sale early despite the president's attempts to block its publication.
Mr Trump says the book is "boring and untruthful" and Wolff a "total loser".
He said it was being pushed by the media and others to hurt him. He added in a tweet: "They should try winning an election. Sad!"
Mr Tillerson - who is alleged to have called Mr Trump a moron last year - told CNN: "I have no reason to question his mental fitness."
He said Mr Trump was "not typical of presidents of the past".
"I think that's well recognised. That's also though why the American people chose him," he said.
On Saturday, Mr Trump will begin two days of talks with senior Republicans to discuss policy priorities for the coming year.
What are the questions on Trump's mental health?
In a television interview on Friday, Wolff said "100% of the people" around Mr Trump questioned his fitness for office.
His book alleges that Mr Trump failed to recognise close friends, and was prone to repeating comments.
Wolff said that White House staff described the president as childlike because "he has the need for immediate gratification. It's all about him... This man does not read, does not listen. He's like a pinball just shooting off the sides."
The president said he had not given Wolff access to the White House nor spoken to him for the book.
But Wolff responded: "What was I doing there if he didn't want me to be there? I absolutely spoke to the president... It was not off the record."
He said he had spent a total of three hours with Mr Trump, both during the election campaign and after the inauguration.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Wolff said staff had come to realise "the emperor has no clothes".
What else is in the book?
It cites former top aide Steve Bannon as describing a meeting between a Russian lawyer and Trump election campaign officials, including Mr Trump's son Donald Jr, as "treasonous".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dozens queued for the midnight release of Fire and Fury
Both Mr Trump Jr and his father deny that any collusion with Russians to win the election took place. However Mr Bannon is quoted in the book as saying: "They're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV."
The meeting is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russia.
The book makes many other claims, including that:
The Trump team was shocked and horrified by his election win
His wife, Melania, was in tears of sadness on election night
His daughter, Ivanka, had a plan with her husband, Jared Kushner, that she would be "the first woman president"
Ivanka mocked her dad's "comb-over" hairstyle and "often described the mechanics behind it to friends"
The accuracy of some excerpts has been criticised and questioned in US media.
Still, even if only half of what the book contains is true, it paints a damning portrait of a paranoid president and a chaotic White House, says BBC North America editor Jon Sopel.
Will it actually hurt Trump?
Analysis: BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher
Donald Trump's supporters have seen many a media storm over the past few years, and somehow their man always emerges (relatively) unscathed. The book may be generating considerable heat among the chattering class, but there's little to indicate that its lasting impact will be much more than confirming long-held suspicions of Trump critics and re-enforcing the bunker mentality in the White House.
Outside Washington, in places where people don't devoutly follow every permutation of the presidential Twitter feed, the Trump administration is compiling a boast-worthy economic record.
Despite some doom-and-gloom predictions following the 2016 election, the stock market has soared. Unemployment remains low. Major corporations are making high-profile moves to at least temporarily boost their workers' paycheques. And the president can start pointing to his party's tax bill as a tangible reason why the economy is humming along.
If the current trajectory continues, Mr Trump and his fellow Republicans will be positioned to make the case to voters in the months and years ahead that despite all the drama - the often self-inflicted fire and fury - their agenda is to help Americans where it counts the most, in their pockets.
That's the kind of message that can win.
What will happen to Steve Bannon?
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump harsher on Bannon than he is on his "worst enemies"
Mr Trump said Mr Bannon - who was sacked in August - had "lost his mind" after losing his White House position, adding in a tweet that Mr Bannon had cried when he lost his job.
Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Report
Reports suggest that more conservative factions in the Republican party are rallying around Mr Trump.
Billionaire conservative donor Rebekah Mercer, who had backed Mr Bannon financially and invested in the right-wing Breitbart news website that he heads, cut ties with the former strategist, and reiterated her support for the president.
What else is happening at the White House?
Despite the storm over the book, the Trump administration has been pressing ahead with its agenda. On Thursday it:
On Friday, Mr Trump refused to answer questions about the book as he departed for Camp David from the White House. Mr Trump will spend two days meeting top Republicans at the retreat to discuss his legislative priorities for the year ahead.
In Axios today, Mike Allen reported "President Trump is so furious about the book that some aides are just trying to avoid him."
Duration: {{video.duration.momentjs}}
