Donald Trump hits back at New York Times
Donald Trump has used a campaign rally to hit back at explosive claims made by a member of his senior staff.
The anonymous piece in The New York Times said "a quiet resistance" within the Trump administration was working to thwart some of the president's "worst inclinations".
The writer, who described themselves as a senior official in the Trump administration, added that Mr Trump's "erratic behaviour would be more concerning if it weren't for unsung heroes in and around the White House".
The US president told a rally at Billings, Montana, on Thursday, that the article was "a horrible thing".
He said: "You look at the Washington Post or the New York Times - I can never get a good story.
"I mean, you look at this horrible thing that took place today. Is it subversion? Treason? It's a horrible thing.
"You know the good thing about that? Even liberals that hate me say: 'That's terrible what they did.'
"And it is - really terrible."
In the piece, the writer claimed: "The root of the problem is the president's amorality.
"Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision-making.
"Meetings with him veer off topic and off the rails, he engages in repetitive rants, and his impulsiveness results in half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions that have to be walked back."
Mr Trump has reportedly demanded that aides find out who wrote the piece.
He also said the Times should publish the author's identity "for the sake of our national security".
He told Fox News: "What they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason, you could call it a lot of things."
Regarding the writer's identity, he said it "may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time".
Mr Trump described his administration as a "well-oiled machine", a contrast to the description offered by his anonymous colleague in the Times.
It is also a contrast to the description in Watergate reporter Bob Woodward's upcoming book, which quotes chief of staff John Kelly as saying the Trump White House is "crazytown" with a president who has "gone off the rails".
Meanwhile, a number of senior officials have denied being the anonymous writer, including vice-president Mike Pence, secretary of state Mike Pompeo, defence secretary Jim Mattis and director of national intelligence Dan Coats.
The Times earlier said: "We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers."
At the rally in Montana, Mr Trump told the crowd: "Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she.
"Unidentified deep state operatives who defy voters to push their secret agendas are truly a threat to democracy itself."
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