The author of a book which US President Donald Trump tried to block from publication has said he stands by everything contained in the work.
Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" quotes key Trump aides, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office.
It portrays Mr Trump as not particularly wanting to win the US presidency in 2016 and being unprepared for the job.
Mr Trump has dismissed it as "full of lies" and invented sources, tweeting last night that: "I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book.
"Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist. Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!"
In an interview with the Today Show on NBC, Mr Wolff said that he "absolutely spoke to the President".
He added that "whether he realised it was an interview or not I don't know, but it certainly wasn't off the record."
Mr Wolff said he spent about three hours with Mr Trump over the course of his successful election campaign and also in the White House following his inauguration last January.
He added that he also "spoke to people who spoke to the President on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis".
The author also said that in issuing a 'cease and desist' letter via his lawyers, Mr Trump was helping both to sell copies of the book and also to prove the point of the book.
He added that this is how Mr Trump has approached "everything" for the past 35 years, by attacking people and sending legal correspondence.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
WATCH: @SavannahGuthrie’s full interview with ‘Fire and Fury’ author @MichaelWolffNYC pic.twitter.com/pNUWx4nGbJ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 5, 2018
After Mr Trump instructed his lawyers to try to block the release of the book, the publishers responded by moving the release date up by four days to today.
Publishers Henry Holt and Company cited unprecedented demand as the reason for bringing the book out early.
Some bookshops in the US opened at midnight last night to start selling the book.
Easons and Dubray Books have told RTÉ News that the Irish publication date for the book is next Tuesday, 9 January.
However, the book is now available for purchase electronically on Amazon Kindle in Ireland.
Easons said there had been a strong demand for the book online and that the first print run may sell quickly.
They added that while they hope to have the book in some stores on Tuesday, it might be Wednesday in others due to transport and logistics.
Read more
Controversial Trump book to be published early
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he has never had any reason to question Mr Trump's mental fitness and intends to continue in office.
"I've never questioned his mental fitness, I've had no reason to question his mental fitness," Mr Tillerson said.
Anecdotes in the controversial book recalled reports last year that Tillerson once called the president a "moron."
The State Department denied that claim, but ever since Mr Tillerson has been dogged by reports that White House officials close to Mr Trump are scheming to oust him.
But Mr Tillerson told CNN today that Mr Trump has never sought to push him out and that he himself plans to remain.
"I intend to be here for the whole year," he said.
Asked whether the president had given him any indication that he wants him to step down, Mr Tillerson said: "None whatsoever."
