Rupert Murdoch called Donald Trump a 'f*****g idiot', Fire and Fury book claims

Murdoch is reported to have made the comments shortly after the 2016 US presidential election.

According to a new book set to be released next week, Rupert Murdoch once called Donald Trump a "f*****g idiot".

In an excerpt from Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, the media mogul billionaire is said to have made the remark shortly after the 2016 presidential election.

It came after Trump had allegedly called Murdoch to go over details of a meeting he'd had with technology executives at Trump Tower.

But the book revealed that Fox News owner was unimpressed with Trump's level of understanding when it came to immigration visas and the relationship of tech companies with President Obama.

After the phone call, Murdoch is reported to have said: "What a f*****g idiot."

News Corp, the parent company of Fox and Fox News failed to deny the report when questioned by reporters.

The book has caused chaos in the White House after Trump's former top aide, Steve Bannon, made a series of allegations and damning remarks about Trump's involvement with Russia, as well as his children.

Lawyers for Trump on Thursday 4 January made a bid to stop the sale of the book, which is due to be released on the 9 January, due to alleged "slander."

Bannon accused Donald Trump Jr of acting in a "treasonous" way after he met with Russians during the 2016 election campaign as part of a possible bid to get dirt on Hillary Clinton.

The book, written by Michael Wolff, also suggests that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, has worked on a plan along with her husband Jared Kushner to become the "first woman president".

Ivanka was also cited as being someone who mocked Donald Trump's infamous combover hairstyle.