Trump became terrified of special counsel interview after melting down in practice sessions: Bob Woodward

President Donald Trump is scared of testifying before special counsel Robert Mueller, according to excerpts from an upcoming book by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Bob Woodward published by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

President Trump has repeatedly claimed that he was willing, even excited, to testify for the special counsel.

White House counsel John Dowd, according to Woodward, was convinced that the commander-in-chief would find himself in further legal jeopardy if he testified.

During a January practice session in the White House residence, Trump contradicted himself and lied, which would be perjury if done under oath before investigators.

Trump eventually suffered a meltdown over the "goddamn hoax" of the investigations into Russian collusion and obstruction of justice.

"I don't really want to testify," Trump admitted at the end of a half-in-hour rant against his attorneys.

The day before Dowd resigned, he flatly told Trump, "Don't testify."

"It's either that or an orange jumpsuit," he warned.

The 448-page book, titled Fear, is scheduled for release on September 11.

The 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service was awarded to The Post for reporting on the Watergate break-in that ultimately lead to the downfall of Richard Nixon's administration.

The saga was explained in the 1974 bestselling book All the President's Men, written with Carl Bernstein. The book was turned into a hit 1976 movie starring Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein.