Trump accused of profane tirade against Boehner aide at golf tournament

‘This was more than New York bluster,’ writes former House speaker

Donald Trump called one of John Boehner’s aides “some kind of idiot” in a profane tirade during a golf tournament fundraiser, the former House speaker has claimed in his new memoir.

Mr Boehner, 71, a former Republican Ohio representative, detailed the exchange in an excerpt from his upcoming book, On The House: A Washington Memoir, which was obtained by Punchbowl News’ Daily Punch podcast on Thursday.

He wrote that he was playing golf with Mr Trump and several insurance executives prior to his 2016 presidential campaign, when the businessman became angry after he misidentified one of the executives after being given the wrong name by an aide of the former House speaker.

Mr Boehner wrote that Mr Trump then confronted Mr Boehner’s aide and asked if he was “some kind of idiot,” before telling him to “f****** LISTEN” when people introduce themselves.

He said that this incident gave him a small insight into what Mr Trump would be like as president, as he became so angry over a small incident.

“This was more than New York bluster,” Mr Boehner wrote in the memoir. “This was real anger, over something very, very small. We had no idea then what that anger would do to our country,” he added.

The excerpt is the latest comment about Mr Trump revealed to be in the former House speaker’s memoir, as The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Mr Boehner blamed Mr Trump for the Republicans losing the Senate, which was decided by two runoff elections lost by the GOP in Georgia in January.

In the memoir, he cited Mr Trump’s repeated public refusal to accept November’s election results, writing that it “not only cost Republicans the Senate but led to mob violence,” adding that “it was painful to watch,” according to the Times.

Mr Boehner also claimed that Mr Trump incited the riots at the US Capitol on 6 January, where five people were killed and several more were injured when a mob of pro-Trump supporters breached the building.

The riots came shortly after Mr Trump gave a speech near by, with the then president subsequently charged by the House with “incitement to insurrection”. He faced his second unsuccessful Senate impeachment trial a few weeks after leaving office.

According to the Times, Mr Boehner wrote in his book that Mr Trump “incited that bloody insurrection for nothing more than selfish reasons, perpetuated by the bull**** he’d been shovelling since he lost a fair election the previous November.”

The former house speaker added: “He claimed voter fraud without any evidence, and repeated those claims, taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his supporters and ultimately betraying that trust.”

When asked by the Times for comment about Mr Boehner’s insurrection comments, Mr Trump replied: “Was he drinking when he made this statement? Just another RINO who couldn’t do the job!”

The Hill reported that Mr Boehner was friendly with Mr Trump before he ran for president, but the former House speaker has criticised him in recent years.

“There is no Republican Party. There’s a Trump party. The Republican Party is kinda taking a nap somewhere,” Mr Boehner said in 2018.

He also congratulated President Joe Biden on his election victory late last year, saying: “I know you’re sincere in your desire to be a president for all Americans, and I know you’ve got the tools and the heart to get it done.”

Mr Boehner’s memoir, which also features his thoughts on former President Barack Obama and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, is scheduled to be released on 13 April.

A blurb for the book states that Mr Boehner will share “colourful tales from the halls of power, the smoke-filled rooms around the halls of power and his fabled tour bus.”

The Independent has contacted the Trump Organisation for additional comment.