Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended1632958799

Stephanie Grisham book - live: Trump wanted to boot media from White House and ogled ‘highly attractive’ aide

Follow the latest updates

Justin Vallejo,Stuti Mishra
Thursday 30 September 2021 00:39 BST
Comments
Stephanie Grisham Book Says Trump Told Putin He Would Act Tough With Him 'For the Cameras'

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Stephanie Grisham’s tell-all new memoir I’ll Take Your Questions Now has already generated reams of headlines before the book’s official release. The title carries a hint of irony, as the former White House press secretary never held an on-camera briefing for reporters.

Among the explosive claims in the book, Ms Grisham writes that the former president told Russian president Vladimir Putin he would but on a tough act for the cameras before the two spoke in private.

Ms Grisham claimed She also claimed her ex-boss called her from Air Force One to insist that his penis was not shaped like a mushroom, as alleged by former porn star Stormy Daniels.

On top of that, the book claims that first lady Melania Trump had her own way of getting back at her husband – by having a handsome US marine escort her at official events.

Mr Trump called Ms Grisham “angry and bitter” over his former press aide’s book.

In multiple statements, Mr Trump said Ms Grisham’s "untrue" claims were the result of a disgruntled employee who didn’t "have what it takes" after a break-up, in an apparent reference to her split with another White House official, Max Miller.

Preview copies of the book were obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times ahead of its release on 5 October.

1632848121

Trump ‘told Putin he would act tough for the cameras’ as Russian president ‘used woman to distract him’

A new book by a Trump-era White House press secretary claims that the former president told Vladimir Putin he would put on a tough act while the cameras were on at a summit where the two men spoke in private.

In her upcoming book I’ll Take Your Questions Now, which has been seen by the Washington Post, Stephanie Grisham claims that at the G20’s Osaka summit in June 2019, she heard Mr Trump murmur to his Russian counterpart that any toughness was just for show.

“Okay, I’m going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes,” she recalls the president saying. “But it’s for the cameras, and after they leave, we’ll talk. You understand.”

Andrew Naughtie reports.

Trump ‘told Putin he would act tough in front of him for the cameras’

Stephanie Grisham’s upcoming memoir of her time in the Trump administration has already been making waves

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 17:55
1632848165

Trump hits out at ex-aide as bombshell book claims obsession with penis shape

Donald Trump has hit out at a former White House aide as her bombshell new book claims he was fixated with the shape of his penis and eased his rage by listening to show tunes.

The one-term president attacked Stephanie Grisham, his former White House press secretary and chief of staff to Melania Trump, who has made the amazing revelations in her tell-all book.

“Stephanie didn’t have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,” Mr Trump said through spokesperson Liz Harrington, who unlike the former president has not been banned from Twitter.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump hits out at ex-aide as bombshell book claims obsession with penis shape

Donald Trump has hit out at a former White House aide as her bombshell new book claims he was fixated with the shape of his penis and eased his rage by listening to show tunes.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 17:56
1632848444

Trump called press secretary from Air Force One to defend 'toadstool' penis, new book claims

Donald Trump was on board Air Force One when he felt compelled to deny claims from porn star Stormy Daniels that his appendage was shaped like the mushroom character from Mario Kart, according to new reports.

The former president called then press secretary Stephanie Grisham to assure her that his penis was, in fact, neither small nor bore a resemblance to a cartoon fungus.

“Uh, yes sir,” Ms Grisham replied.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:00
1632848446

Trump called press secretary from Air Force One to defend 'toadstool' penis, new book claims

Donald Trump was on board Air Force One when he felt compelled to deny claims from porn star Stormy Daniels that his appendage was shaped like the mushroom character from Mario Kart, according to new reports.

The former president called then press secretary Stephanie Grisham to assure her that his penis was, in fact, neither small nor bore a resemblance to a cartoon fungus.

“Uh, yes sir,” Ms Grisham replied.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:00
1632848850

After penis jokes, Trump reportedly hid colonoscopy because he was worried about butt jokes

Donald Trump’s mysterious visit to Walter Reed Medical Centre in 2019 led to conspiracy theories of a secret sickness.

Stephanie Grisham suggested in her new book that he went in for a routine colonoscopy but kept it hidden because he didn’t want to be “the butt of a joke” on late-night TV.

He could have used his office to demystify the “very common procedure”, she wrote.

“But as with covid, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,”

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:07
1632849648

Trump wanted to promote female staffer with a ‘*****’ rear end to ‘keep her happy’, book claims

Donald Trump once requested a young, female press aide be brought to his cabin on Air Force One so he could “look at her [behind]”, according to Stephanie Grisham.

She wrote in her new book that the former president became obsessed with the unnamed female staffer and constantly asked where she was during events.

She said Trump used an expletive to describe her rear end, and instructed that she should be promoted to “keep her happy”.

Ms Grisham instead tried to keep her away from the president.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:20
1632850548

‘You just deny it’: Trump says of rape claims, according to new book

Stephanie Grisham’s new book has given some insight into the former president’s strategy against rape accuser E Jean Carroll.

A federal just recently denied Donald Trump’s request to stop a defamation lawsuit from Carrol, who accused him of rape in the 1990s.

Trump has denied the claim.

Grisham alleged in a memoir that her former boss ranted about Carrol and insulted her looks during an Oval Office meeting.

“‘You just deny it,’” she said he told her. ‘That’s what you do in every situation. Right, Stephanie? You just deny it,’ he repeated, emphasizing the words.”

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:35
1632851448

Trump screamed at Grisham for being ‘weak’ after she refused to remove CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, book claims

The revelations from Stephanie Grisham’s new book are flowing rapidly from the early copies provided to The New York Times and The Washington Post.

But one excerpt that didn’t make the final story was just dropped on Twitter by the Post’s investigations editor, Josh Dawsey.

In the scene, Trump screams at Grisham to physically remove Kaitlan Collins from the White House/

When Grisham didn’t acquiesce, she writes, Trump yelled that she was “weak”.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 18:50
1632852348

Book claims Trump spent most of meeting with Boris Johnson discussing gallbladders and Australia, a country for which Johnson is not the prime minister

In another book excerpt revealed by Post investigation editor Josh Dawsy, Grisham describes Donald Trump’s series of startling interactions with world leaders.

In one, she claimes, Trump spent much of a meeting with UK prime minister Boris Johnson discussing how gallbladders work.

They also discussed many deadly creatures of Australia, a country for which Johnson is not the prime minister.

Crikey.

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 19:05
1632853248

Trump had a special aide to play him show tunes to pull him back from rage

Donald Trump’s handlers designated an unnamed White House official known as the “Music Man” to play Mr Trump’s favourite show tunes, including Memory from the musical Cats, to improve his mood, according to Stephanie Grisham’s new book.

The unnamed aide is later revealed to be Ms Grisham’s ex-boyfriend. She doesn’t name him, but The New York Times reported that it’s Max Miller, who’s now a congressional candidate backed by Mr Trump.

Ms Grisham writes in I’ll Take Your Questions Now that Donald Trump often scolded her and made impossible requests.

“When I began to see how his temper wasn’t just for shock value or the cameras, I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing,” Ms Grisham writes.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump had a special aide to play him show tunes to pull him back from rage

‘When I began to see how his temper wasn’t just for shock value or the cameras, I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing,’ Stephanie Grisham writes

Justin Vallejo28 September 2021 19:20

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in