‘He’s an idiot’, ‘We’re in crazytown’ and other key extracts from Woodward’s Trump book

Book on Trump’s first 18 months in office includes incendiary comments

The Washington Post on Tuesday also published audio of a telephone call between Trump and Woodward which took place in early August in which they discuss the book. Video: The Washington Post

Long-time Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's book on Donald Trump's first 18 months in office includes some incendiary comments attributed to the president and key former and current White House staffers.

Mr Trump and other officials have denied some accounts.

Here are some of the most explosive passages from Fear: Trump in the White House:

- White House chief of staff John Kelly on working for Mr 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."

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- Mr Trump on attorney general Jeff Sessions: "This guy is mentally retarded. He's this dumb southerner. How in the world was I ever persuaded to pick him for my attorney general? He couldn't even be a one-person country lawyer down in Alabama. What business does he have being attorney general?"

- The president after making a speech condemning white supremacists over violence in Charlottesville: "That was the biggest f****** mistake I've made. You never make those concessions. You never apologise. I didn't do anything wrong in the first place. Why look weak?"

- Mr Trump to former director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn when he tried to resign after Charlottesville: "This is treason."

- Defence secretary Jim Mattis on Iranian leaders: "Those idiot raghead mullahs."

- Mr Trump after Twitter doubled its character count for a single tweet from 140 to 280: "It's a good thing, but it's a bit of a shame because I was the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters."

- The president on his nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: "Little Rocket Man. I think that may be my best ever, best nickname ever."

- Ivanka Trump, when told she was a "staffer" by Steve Bannon: "I'm not a staffer! I'll never be a staffer. I'm the first daughter and I'm never going to be a staffer."

- Deputy chief of staff Zach Fuentes on Mr Kelly: "He's not a detail guy. Never put more than one page in front of him."