Donald Trump orders his chief of staff out off Oval Office for coughing during interview

Donald Trump ordered his own chief of staff out of the Oval Office because he was bothered by his coughing during an interview.

The US president had just been asked about his tax returns by ABC News when Mick Mulvaney was heard coughing off camera.

Mr Trump, who has been under fire for not releasing his taxes, was discussing his administration's most recent refusal to go public with the records when he suddenly halted his interview to tell off his staffer.

He was discussing his “fantastic financial statement” when he abruptly stopped.

Mr Trump was in the middle of talking about his "fantastic financial statement".
ABC News

The President pointed towards Mr Mulvaney off camera and said: “Let’s do that over. He’s coughing in the middle of my answer.

“I don’t like that, you know. I don’t like that,” he continued.

His interviewer, George Stephanopolous, then identified the man as the president’s chief of staff before Mr Trump expelled him from the Oval Office.

Mr Trump said: "I don't like that, you know".
ABC News

He said: “If you’re gonna cough, please leave the room. You just can’t, you just can’t cough.”

After shaking his head he asks the reporters, he added: “Do you wanna do that a little differently then?”

Mr Trump continued his interview in which he called the Senate’s demands for his financial statement a “disgrace”.

The interview, which was broadcast Sunday, continued with Mr Trump saying although he wanted people to see his “phenomenal” financial statement, it’s “not up to me, it’s up to my lawyers”.

Despite continuing the interview smoothly, his reaction to Mr Mulvaney’s coughing caused the biggest stir.

One commenter said: “Probably coughing to stop trump from saying something incriminating."

Another said: “Can we all cough every time he gives a campaign speech during the election this will drive him nuts.”

However, others came to the president’s defence, tweeting: “President Trump orders his Chief of Staff Mulvaney to leave the Oval Office when being interviewed because he is coughing. I would too. Totally rude.”

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