I don't know how Michael Wolff gets White House aides and staffers to talk to him, but he does. And he's back with a new book called "Siege: Trump Under Fire." He was on The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell last night to talk about it.
"What did you gather about -- about Donald Trump's life within his own family from that kind of information?" O'Donnell asked.
"It's the strangest family on -- the most dysfunctional family, and strangely the most dedicated family. They're dedicated to a man who really could care less about them. I mean, he's terrible to both of his sons. His other daughter, Tiffany, barely exists. His young son, Barron, who theoretically lives with him, has become a major issue in his marriage," Wolff said.
"I think there are many issues. But this is a major issue because he really doesn't -- he doesn't get along with his son, he doesn't communicate with his son, he doesn't -- his son is effectively not at all a part of his life, even though he lives with him."
"You also report the incredibly peculiar detail that Donald Trump is reportedly jealous of his son's height because at 12 years old he's apparently growing up."
"He's jealous of everyone's height. He never lets himself be in a photograph with someone taller than he is. Height is his -- is one of his techniques. He uses his height -- and, remember, Donald Trump is a very large man."
"You talk about a Trump White House where -- by the time you get to this passage of Kellyanne Conway and her husband actually sharing a feeling of hatred for Donald Trump, you've revealed all sorts of people working in the White House who have hatred for Donald Trump, including Don McGahn, most importantly possibly because he could be the most damaging witness against Donald Trump eventually," O'Donnell said.
"I've certainly never met anyone who has worked with Donald Trump or come in contact with Donald Trump on more than "x" number of occasions who does not view him with incredulity and contempt."
"And one of the things about McGahn is that we are watching a public drama in which McGahn by public appearances seems loyal to Donald Trump because he's refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas. What do you see in that public drama? Given your reporting about what Don McGahn actually thinks of Donald Trump," O'Donnell said.
Wolff said he thinks McGahn and Hicks will end up testifying anyway.
"The president will say you can't testify, and everyone then is waiting for some other authority for force them to testify. And then they will testify and then the edifice will begin to that's -- you think that's true for Hope Hicks and all of them across the board?" O'Donnell said.
"Absolutely. They will -- I mean, one of the things -- actually I have some testimony before the -- before the special counsel and -- and the witnesses asked about Hope Hicks. What was her level of loyalty to the president? Very high, said the witness. Would she lie for the president? Remember, she had said, you know, she had told white lies on his -- his behalf. And the witness said, well -- that this witness thought she would go to a certain degree, but she certainly wasn't going to go to jail for this president. So I think loyalty, even with Hope Hicks, has firm limits," Wolff said.
Wolff also confirmed something that was long rumored -- namely, that Melania Trump lives in Maryland with her son and parents, and is not really living in the White House.
