Punchdrunk Trump

NEW YORK—President Trump on Friday disputed one of his longtime lawyer’s criticisms of his behavior and questioned whether a forthcoming book by Jay Goldberg runs afoul of lawyer-client privilege.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Trump suggested that Mr. Goldberg is unhappy that he wasn’t tapped for a White House role.

Mr. Trump cited economic gains, rising consumer confidence and a strengthening military as proof of a successful tenure and said, “I’ve had nothing but victories, so it’s sad that somebody you can’t take to Washington for obvious reasons wants to write a book.”

He added: “We’re hitting new records every day.”

Mr. Goldberg represented Mr. Trump in divorce cases involving two ex-wives, Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. His memoir, “The Courtroom Is My Theater,” is due to be released in December.

Mr. Trump questioned whether it is appropriate for Mr. Goldberg to write about a client.

“There’s lawyer-client privilege here. You can’t do that,” he said.

In reply, Mr. Goldberg said through a spokeswoman that “Jay is very cognizant of that issue,” adding, “the book will definitely not reveal anything that will violate attorney-client privilege.” The spokeswoman said Mr. Goldberg “never wanted to go to Washington.”

In an interview at his Manhattan home, whose entryway is decorated with a framed collection of appreciative notes from Mr. Trump, Mr. Goldberg said the president’s private legal team has done him a disservice by alternately praising and condemning Michael Cohen, who has implicated Mr. Trump in campaign-finance violations related to hush money payments to two women.

He also said that Mr. Trump sustained attacks from political foes and the press have left the president “punch-drunk,” causing him to lash out without “appropriate restraint.”

Mr. Goldberg said he has been dismayed by some of Mr. Trump’s comments, including recent assertions about a strong administration response to Hurricane Maria, which killed 3,000 people in Puerto Rico.

“There’s so much pounding against him from all different directions, he says things that if he had chance to reflect he wouldn’t say,” Mr. Goldberg said.

Later, Mr. Goldberg said through the spokeswoman that he didn’t mean that Mr. Trump was punch-drunk. Rather, he said that he would be punch-drunk if he had to endure the attacks that Mr. Trump has seen as president.