Donald Trump thought Australia ‘was out to get him’, former Adviser tells 60 Minutes

One of Donald Trump’s former advisers claims the President thought there was a conspiracy against him, spearheaded by Malcolm Turnbull.

One of Donald Trump’s most trusted former advisers has revealed claims the US President thought there was an Australian conspiracy against him, spearheaded by Malcolm Turnbull.

Speaking to Karl Stefanovic on 60 Minutes, former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman recalled the moment President Trump called the former Australian Prime Minister in January 2017.

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The call took place shortly after Mr Trump was sworn in as President and the two butted heads over unwanted migrants.

“The President’s reaction to that call was pretty shocking for us all,” Ms Newman said.

“He was ranting and ranting. He thought that Turnbull had set him up.”

Omarosa Manigault Newman joined the ‘Trump train’ in 2015. Picture: 60 Minutes

During the phone call in 2017, the pair discussed a deal made by former US President Barack Obama for up to 2000 refugees — detained by Australia on Manus Island and Nauru at the time — to be settled in the United States.

However, Ms Newman said President Trump felt “so suspicious that the Australian establishment was out to get him”.

“He thought this was all part of some massive conspiracy to make him look bad,” she said. “And, he didn’t say very nice things about your Prime Minister.”

President Trump and Malcolm Turnbull’s relationship reportedly got off to a bad start. Picture: Nathan Edwards

Mr Stefanovic tried to push the former advisor to spill what Mr Trump had said.

“He was into name calling and there was some profanities,” she said. “He described it as the worst call of all the leaders that he had in those early days.”

She believes this was all because Mr Turnbull had stood up to the President.

“Australia stood up to Trump,” she said.

She added that the air wasn’t cleared between the pair until months later.

Omarosa Manigault Newman became the White House Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison. Picture: 60 Minutes

“We knew how important the relationship was with Australia, but we weren’t sure that Donald Trump was grasping the magnitude of how important it was,” Ms Newman said.

Ms Newman joined the Trump campaign in 2015 as his and became the White House Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison

However, she was fired from the position after just one year in the role.

She told 60 Minutes she was once one of Mr Trump’s biggest supporters and greatest friends — but she now wants to “bring him down”.

“I am not going to be intimidated by Donald Trump,” she said. “I intend to take Donald Trump down.”

However, she said she is shocked by the president’s “mental deterioration”.

“It’s hard for me to watch his mental deterioration because I’ve known him for so long. I spoke so glowingly about him,” she said.

Donald Trump has repeatedly hit out at Ms Newman. Picture: Twitter

Investment banker Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci was also once a part of Trump’s inner circle — as the White House Director of Communications — but he only lasted 11 days before being fired.

Speaking to 60 Minutes, he accused Mr Trump of “literally ripping up the fabric of American unity”.

“You don’t bully people the way he’s bullying people,” he said.

“He’s nuts, he’s a full-blown lunatic. We’re in a horror movie right now where people are afraid.”

Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci was once a part of Trump’s inner circle. Picture: 60 Minutes

It comes just days after Trump’s personal assistant Madeleine Westerhout resigned after she shared information about the president’s family with journalists.

President Trump says his secretary was dismissed after making indiscreet remarks about his children and saying things that “were just a little bit hurtful”.

He said Ms Westerhout’s reported remarks that he didn’t want to be photographed with daughter Tiffany are “just absolutely false”.

He adds: “I love Tiffany. Tiffany’s a great person.” Trump says Westerhout called him after the incident became public and “was very upset. She was down.”

President Trump said Ms Westerhout volunteered that she “was drinking a little bit” at the time.

Ms Westerhout’s comments reportedly came during an off-the-record dinner with journalists and White House staffers.