Five Shocking Claims About Donald Trump in Stephanie Grisham’s New

The latest tell-all memoir about the presidency of Donald Trump is by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham—and claims to reveal the idiosyncrasies of his temperament as well as his relationships with his inner circle.

Critics might think the title I’ll Take Your Questions Now is a tad fanciful, given Grisham never held a televised news briefing, but she is considered a “consummate Trump insider” and one of the “Trump originals,” according to The Washington Post.

Her 352-page parting shot from the White House—which she quit in the wake of the January 6 riot by Trump supporters—includes choice tidbits about the former president’s conduct on the world stage and his complicated family life. Excerpts from the memoir have been published in the Post and The New York Times.

Trump’s spokesperson Liz Harrington told Newsweek the book was “another pitiful attempt to cash in on the president’s strength and sell lies about the Trump family.”

Here are some of the most eyebrow-raising claims in the Harper Collins book.

Trump Pretended to Talk Tough with Putin, Who Used Ploys to Distract Him

During the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, which took place in June 2019, Grisham recounts that after journalists left the room where Trump and Vladimir Putin were meeting, the U.S. president leaned over and gave his Russian counterpart an assurance of sorts.

“OK, I’m going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it’s for the cameras, and after they leave, we’ll talk. You understand,” Trump said, according to the book.

Putin was also trying to throw a curveball or two to challenge Trump. The Russian leader repeatedly coughed and cleared his throat in a bid to spook the renowned germophobe.

Meanwhile, in a detail that was picked up by the Russian media, Grisham said Trump’s adviser, Fiona Hill, had told her that Putin had deliberately chosen an attractive female interpreter for their discussion.

“As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin’s translator, who was a very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face and a wonderful figure,” the book says.

“She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.”

Trump and his Aides Forged a Culture of Lying

“Casual dishonesty filtered through the White House as if it were in the air conditioning system,” according to Grisham.

One example she cited was Trump’s mysterious visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which was not explained to the media.

The book hints that Trump had gone for a colonoscopy, although it does not use that word.

He underwent the “common procedure” without general anesthesia because he could not bear the prospect of having Vice President Mike Pence in power even for a short period, Grisham said.