US President Donald Trump has said that he feels "betrayed" by his former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon who was highly critical of him and his family in a book published last week. Bannon who worked with him first as his campaign manager and then as his chief strategist at the White House was fired by him last August.


In a book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' published last week, Bannon is extensively quoted as being highly critical of him and his family, even going to the extent of claiming that the president was not interested in winning the presidential election and that first lady Melania wept after the election result because she did not want Trump to win.


"I feel betrayed because you are not supposed to do that, but I have many people that work for me who were far more important than Steve, right there," Trump was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.


"I always liked Steve, but Steve became very ineffective because he was such a lightning rod. And Steve, in the end I fired Steve," Trump said. Soon after the excerpts of the book was released, Trump in a statement said that Bannon has nothing to do with his presidency and that he has lost his mind.  -- PTI