Michael Caputo: Trump Has 'Every Right' to Defend Self From 'Trashy Book'

President Donald Trump has "every right" to defend himself from the "trashy" book Michael Wolff wrote about him, former campaign adviser Michael Caputo said Monday, but he does think the president and White House should be talking about the successes enjoyed in 2017, including the tax cut legislation passed at the end of the year.

"I believe the president has every right, and I expect him to defend himself against this trashy book from a trashy writer," Caputo told CNN's "New Day" host Chris Cuomo.

"I think the tax cuts are going to reveal what the Democrats, not one of whom voted for the tax cuts, are truly about, keeping money with the government and not the people of America. The more the White House speaks about the successes and the agenda in the weeks ahead, the better off we are."

On Friday, Trump will have his first medical physical exam since taking office, Cuomo noted, but that is not expected to give insight into his mental health, a question that has come under a great deal of argument since Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury" came out.

Trump himself addressed the issue through a tweet on Saturday, in which he called himself "a very stable genius" and during a Camp David press appearance, where he argued against claims made in the book that his staff and administration are concerned about his stability.

Caputo Monday said he disagreed with a Cuomo question that Trump may be "spending way too much time on the wrong things," in connection with his Twitter account.

"I think a lot of people, especially those opposing Donald Trump, are uncomfortable with his use of the unfiltered Twitter feed," said Caputo. "Some in the White House are as well. I myself was a little bit, you know, cautious of the Twitter feed and what the Twitter platform could do when I joined the campaign."

However, Caputo said he "became comfortable" with the fact that Trump is giving the United States his unfiltered view, but "the fact of the matter is this book has come out with very personal, visceral, even insulting criticisms of the president of the United States. And he feels compelled to defend himself."

Trump is also a "very different president," said Caputo, answering a question about why the president won't allow his counselors to handle matters, while he keeps his eye on his agenda and the American people.

"This is a very different president and a very different presidency, and I think the president himself is being personally attacked here and in very insulting ways, and he feels that he needs to come to his own defense," said Caputo.

"I think I'm among one of the people who feel that a robust and even muscular presidency and someone who speaks their mind is someone I'm comfortable with in the White House."

Caputo said he supported and voted for Trump because he was tired of Republicans "rolling over and taking a beating from Democrats like the author of this book who is lying through his teeth about what the people in the White House are thinking and the doubts they have . . . this book is trash."

Cuomo pointed out that the White House gave Wolff "plenty of access," but Caputo insisted that there are "plenty of passages" in Wolff's book that are "flat false," including a claim that the president didn't know who House Speaker John Boehner was.

Caputo also said he thinks former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who came under fire from the president for his quotes in the book, was "quoted out of context," and he believes Bannon's comments Sunday night, that he has not accused Donald Trump Jr. of acting in a treasonous manner.

"I don't believe the meeting was treasonous or unpatriotic," Caputo said of Trump Jr.'s meeting during the campaign with Russians who said they had negative information about Hillary Clinton.

He also said he does not believe there is a rivalry between Trump and Bannon, because "there is no rivalry between a hammer and a nail. . . of course, the president is the hammer."