Carl Bernstein: Watergate journalist says top Republicans feel Donald Trump is 'unfit for office'

Mr Bernstein says senior figures in party, as well as in military and intelligence agencies, are questioning Mr Trump's 'lack of ethics' and 'temperament'

The CNN commentator wants the press to find out how ‘pervasive’ are the apparent calls for the president to be impeached (Getty Images)

Famed Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein has called on the media in the US to investigate his claim that “important” Republicans believe Donald Trump is unfit for office.

He says he has the ear of senior figures in the party who are saying in private that the US President suffers from a “lack of ethics” and question his competence as well as his “temperament/stability”.

Mr Bernstein added that the apparent growing disapproval over the White House chief included individuals “high-up” among the ranks of the intelligence agencies and the military.

He called on the press to probe how “pervasive” the supposed lack of confidence is among the President’s ranks amid spiralling calls that he should be impeached.

It comes as Mr Trump has been hit with widespread criticism for his equivocal comments on the white supremacists who rampaged in Charlottesville – later describing some of them as “very fine people”.

His further comments that there was violence “on both sides” when ultra-right groups lashed out at counter-protesters sparked fresh calls by Democrats for Mr Trump to be ousted.

But Mr Bernstein said there was growing unrest among the top ranks of the President’s own Republican party.

In a series of tweets, the famous journalist wrote: “(1/3) Important Republicans/conservs/Intel-military hi-ups increasingly saying in private that @realDonaldTrump is unfit to be president.

“(2/3) BC of lack of ethics, competence, ‘temperament/stability.’

“(3/3)—Reporters should find out how pervasive such talk may be.”

Mr Bernstein is one of two Washington Post journalists who exposed the Watergate scandal in 1972 that led to the impeachment and resignation of President Richard Nixon.

The legendary reporter is currently a commentator with CNN and a hardline critic of Mr Trump, saying last month that his administration was “dangerous beyond any modern presidency."

The US President has accused the news channel of airing “fake news” and caused controversy on Monday when he re-tweeted an image of a “Trump” train slamming into a CNN reporter.

It came after he sparred with a journalist for the broadcaster, Jim Acosta, during a rowdy press conference on Monday after he hit out at violence “on both sides” over clashes in Charlottesville.

Violence erupted in the Virginia city when white nationalists, including the Ku Klux Klan, lashed out at counter protesters in clashes on Saturday that left one woman dead and 19 injured.