Senior Trump aide reportedly branded President 'a deplorable' and labelled Access Hollywood tape leak 'justice'

A top Trump administration official reportedly branded the US President a “deplorable” and described the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape as “some justice”.

Raj Shah, the White House deputy press secretary, also asked a colleague to unearth an old CNN interview with Donald Trump that showed up in an attack advert during the 2016 Republican nomination race, according to New York Magazine.

The 33-year-old’s alleged comments were made in emails before he joined the new administration, while he was still working for the Republican National Committee (RNC).

In December 2015, Mr Shah allegedly asked Andrew Hemming, a senior RNC researcher, if he could dig up footage of Mr Trump in 2008 describing Barack Obama’s appointment of Hillary Clinton to Secretary of State as “a great appointment”.

The email featured a transcript of the CNN interview and the subject line was “Dawg”. Mr Shah reportedly warned Mr Hemming not to use an official RNC email. “Nothing on GOP mail,” he wrote.

Three days later, the Jeb Bush campaign released an attack advert featuring the same clip.

A month before the presidential election, Mr Shah called the release of footage in which Mr Trump said he could grab women “by the p***” as “justice”, according to other messages obtained by New York Magazine.

“U (sic) wanna hear something a little f***** up?” he allegedly asked Mr Hemming. “I’m kinda enjoying this, some justice. I honestly don’t think it’s the worst thing he’s done but he somehow got passes for the other acts.”

He added: “Trump is a deplorable.”

Mr Shah’s comments are likely to fuel Mr Trump’s suspicions that the RNC was opposed to him winning the party’s nomination.

In April 2016, the billionaire told CNN’s Anderson Cooper the RNC’s nomination process was “very unfair” and insisted the ”rules” were “stacked against” him.

Hope Hicks, White House communications director, told New York Magazine the administration had “always known about his previous roles”, and insisted Mr Shah had “tremendous respect” for the President.

“Perhaps if the leakers trying to undermine him were as talented and smart as Raj, they would be here fighting for the American people every day, rather than trying desperately to remain relevant by spreading information that Raj himself shared many months ago,” she added.

Mr Shah and the White House have been contacted for comment.