Trump is a ‘psychopath’ who will try to steal the 2020 election, Art of the Deal co-writer says

‘As soon as he leaves office, his life, for all practical purposes from his perspective, is over,’ says Tony Schwartz

The co-author of Donald Trump’s 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, has labelled the president a “psychopath,” and speculated that he might try to steal November’s presidential election.

Tony Schwartz, the co-author of Mr Trump’s first book, made the comments when asked about an interview given by Joe Biden on Thursday, in which the former vice president suggested that Mr Trump would refuse to leave office if he loses in November.

“It’s my greatest concern, my single greatest concern. This president is going to try to steal this election," Mr Biden said in the interview during an interview with Trevor Noah, of The Daily Show. He added that in such a scenario, the US military would intervene: “I promise you, I am absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch.”

Mr Schwartz said he agreed with Mr Biden's fears "100 per cent," and that he believed Mr Trump “will do everything he can" to try to steal the election.

“That’s what it will come down to and the question is: On whose side does the military stand? Does it stand on the side of democracy? Or does it stand on the side of the commander in chief, even if those circumstances suggest he should no longer be commander in chief?"

“I’m not in any way confident what that outcome will be,” Mr Schwartz told Ari Melber of MSNBC on Friday.

“He is, as I have written on Medium, he is, a psychopath. Meaning, he is missing the two ingredients that are critical and common with human beings," Mr Schwartz said of the president. “Number one, conscience, and number two, empathy. So, he lacks both of these qualities, and therefore anything goes for Trump.”

“As soon as he leaves office, his life, for all practical purposes from his perspective, is over,” he added.

In reaction to Mr Biden’s comments, Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump Campaign, told The Independent: “This is just another brainless conspiracy theory from Joe Biden as he continues to try to undermine confidence in our elections.

“It was the Obama Administration that tried to subvert an election by spying on the Trump campaign in 2016 and Biden himself was part of the effort to sabotage the incoming Trump Administration because they couldn’t live with President Trump’s victory,” he said.

“President Trump has been clear that he will accept the results of the 2020 election.”