Christian Bale: Trump is a clown who doesn't understand government

Christian Bale has said Donald Trump is a "clown" who does not understand how government works.

The actor described the president as “bombastic” and “loud” but less capable than Dick Cheney, who Bale stars as in Vice.

Bale earned a best actor nomination for his portrayal of controversial former US vice president Cheney.

Discussing the differences between Cheney and the US leader, the star said the latter is the less dangerous of the two.

He said: "He's [Trump] bombastic, he's loud. Cheney was quiet and secretive and far more capable, far more brilliant.

"In terms of their ability to understand government, there's no comparison.

“Trump doesn't understand it, Cheney did, that's what made him so powerful, these decades within the government.”

"Whereas Trump is sort of a clown by comparison. Clowns can do a lot of damage but fingers crossed in the next two years that doesn't happen.

Cheney was an instrumental figure in the country's foreign policy decisions post-9/11.

Continuing the Trump-Cheney comparison, Bale added: "But I would say because of his enormous ego, Trump is actually far less dangerous - providing he doesn't go bloody pushing the button - than Cheney."

Bale, who under went a drastic transformation to play Cheney, said he and Vice director Adam McKay had no interest in painting the politician in a purely bad light, "because we're not children who think that monsters look like monsters.

“Monsters don't look like monsters"

Cheney is portrayed in the film as the most powerful vice president in US history, whose influence in the War On Terror following the September 11 attacks in New York had dire consequences for American soldiers, Iraqi civilians and the world at large.

Vice is nominated for best picture at the upcoming Academy Awards, one of eight nods including supporting actor and actress nominations for Bale's co-stars Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell.

It is out in UK cinemas on Friday January 25.