US President Donald Trump on Saturday praised himself as «a very stable genius,» following the release of a bombshell book that calls into doubt his mental health.
In a series of extraordinary early-morning tweets, Trump said that «throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart.»
«I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star 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!»
The new supposed tell-all book -- Michael Wolff's «Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House» -- was rushed into stores Friday after the Trump administration failed to suppress it.
Trump's tweets came ahead of his meetings Saturday with top Republican lawmakers and Cabinet members at the Camp David presidential retreat to discuss party priorities ahead of the crucial 2018 midterm elections.
Yet the sensational details in the new book and Trump's continued defense of his mental health have wrenched attention away from policy and news of US financial markets hitting all-time highs, bringing even more scrutiny over whether the US leader is fit for office.
On Friday, Washington's chief diplomat Rex Tillerson was obliged to defend Trump after being asked during an interview about claims that the president has a short attention span, regularly repeats himself and refuses to read briefing notes.
«I've never questioned his mental fitness. I've had no reason to question his mental fitness,» said Tillerson.
Even in defending Trump, the former ExxonMobil chief executive told CNN he has had to learn how to effectively relay information to the president.
The White House has regularly dismissed such criticism, saying it is no secret that the president has a strong personality, but that it makes him a more -- not less -- effective leader.
In a series of extraordinary early-morning tweets, Trump said that «throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart.»
«I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star 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!»
The new supposed tell-all book -- Michael Wolff's «Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House» -- was rushed into stores Friday after the Trump administration failed to suppress it.
Trump's tweets came ahead of his meetings Saturday with top Republican lawmakers and Cabinet members at the Camp David presidential retreat to discuss party priorities ahead of the crucial 2018 midterm elections.
Yet the sensational details in the new book and Trump's continued defense of his mental health have wrenched attention away from policy and news of US financial markets hitting all-time highs, bringing even more scrutiny over whether the US leader is fit for office.
On Friday, Washington's chief diplomat Rex Tillerson was obliged to defend Trump after being asked during an interview about claims that the president has a short attention span, regularly repeats himself and refuses to read briefing notes.
«I've never questioned his mental fitness. I've had no reason to question his mental fitness,» said Tillerson.
Even in defending Trump, the former ExxonMobil chief executive told CNN he has had to learn how to effectively relay information to the president.
The White House has regularly dismissed such criticism, saying it is no secret that the president has a strong personality, but that it makes him a more -- not less -- effective leader.