Donald Trump had a 'crush' on red-haired actress he called 'quite attractive' multiple times... before she turned on him

Former President Donald Trump had a 'crush' on Will & Grace star Debra Messing and is still wounded that the liberal actress trashed him on Twitter, said the author of the new Apprentice book. 

In Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass, Variety's Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh wrote that Messing came up several times during his six sit-downs with Trump after the 2020 election. 

The book was released Tuesday. 

Setoodeh pointed out that Messing's criticism on social media continued to 'live rent-free' in Trump's head and reported that Trump would keep tabs on her Twitter account during his years serving as president.

'This Debra Messing, who I always thought was quite attractive - not that it matters, of course ...,' Trump said during one of their interviews. 'Debra messing was so thankful ... And then I watch her today, and it's like she's a raving mess.' 

Former President Donald Trump  (left) had a 'crush' on Will & Grace star Debra Messing (right) and is still wounded that the liberal actress trashed him on Twitter, said the author of the new Apprentice book

Trump's first meeting with Messing, he told Setoodeh, came around the time The Apprentice was in its second season. 

'So I'm in line,' Trump recalled. 'The show had gone to No. 1, and we're ready to do the upfronts, which I'd never heard of.' 

Variety's Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh wrote in his new book, Apprentice in Wonderland, that Trump brought up actress Debra Messing on several occasions 

Upfronts are an annual presentation in May where the networks bring out some of their biggest TV stars to woo advertisers. 

'And Debra Messing came up to me. She had a show at a similar time,' Trump went on. 'She came up to me with her beautiful red hair. And she said, "Sir - I love you! Thank God for you! You're saving the network, and you're saving my show."' 

'Because in that world, which I know a lot about now, when you have a hit, a lead-in, it's a massive difference,' Trump added. 

Setoodeh pointed out that Will & Grace came on directly before The Apprentice - which means it wouldn't have received a ratings bump from Apprentice viewers staying tuned to NBC. 

Rather, Will & Grace viewers may have helped Trump's show. 

'A lead-in - or a lead out,' Trump clarified, sticking with his story. 

'She was so thankful,' he said. 'She said, "I can't thank you enough." Do you believe this? I've been watching her. And I'm saying, "She'd do anything for me."'

During his White House years, Trump kept tabs on Debra Messing's negative tweets about him and responded in September 2019, recalling the story that he would later divulge to author Ramin Setoodeh 

Setoodeh wrote that as Trump made this claim his 'words are lathered with a suggestive grease, similar in tone to his boasting bout women finding him irresistible in the leaked Access Hollywood tape.' 

'She was so effusive,' Trump continued. 'And when I see the hatred coming out of her mouth today, it's incredible.' 

Journalist Yashir Ali first reported on Trump's 'obsession' with Messing contained in the book. 

Trump retold the story several times and encouraged Setoodeh to publish it. 

'You should tell that Debra Messing story,' the former president and presumptive GOP nominee advised. 'To me, it's disgusting.'