The Washington Post: Former White House aide describes 'absolutely out of control' White House staff in new book

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN

(CNN) -- Former White House communications aide Cliff Sims describes scenes of an "absolutely out of control" White House staff, President Donald Trump berating the then-speaker of the House from his own party over loyalty and the President walking out of policy meetings in his upcoming book, according to excerpts published by The Washington Post.

The stories are recounted in Sims' book "Team of Vipers," out next week and obtained in advance by the Post.

Trump took Paul Ryan to task over Ryan's loyalty to him after the former House speaker criticized Trump's handling of the deadly 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally, according to the excerpts.

"Paul, do you know why Democrats have been kicking your a-- for decades? Because they know a little word called 'loyalty,'" Trump told Ryan over the phone. "Why do you think Nancy [Pelosi] has held on this long? Have you seen her? She's a disaster. Every time she opens her mouth another Republican gets elected. But they stick with her...Why can't you be loyal to your president, Paul?"

Trump also brought up how Ryan distanced himself from Trump in 2016 after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape, in which Trump could be heard bragging about being able to grope women.

"I remember being in Wisconsin and your own people were booing you," Trump told the Wisconsin Republican, according to the excerpt. "You were out there dying like a dog, Paul. Like a dog! And what'd I do? I saved your a--."

The White House did not immediately offer comment to CNN on the released excerpts. CNN has reached out to Sims for comment.

Throughout the book, Sims recounts "scenes of chaos, dysfunction and duplicity among the president, his family members and administration officials," the Post reported.

"It's impossible to deny how absolutely out of control the White House staff — again, myself included — was at times," he wrote.

Sims also writes in his book that Trump was so disinterested during an Oval Office meeting with Ryan about the Republican health care bill that he walked out and turned on his TV in another room, according to the Post. Vice President Mike Pence had to convince the President to return to the Oval Office and continue the meeting, Sims wrote, according to the Post.

In his book, Sims recounted how White House staff failed to check the facts on former press secretary Sean Spicer's statement to the media about Trump's presidential inauguration crowd size since it was hurried in an effort to appease Trump, the Post reported.

According to Sim's account in "Team of Vipers," Trump also created an "enemies list" made up of members of his own administration, which Axios first reported.