He said: "I'm one of the few people who can say he directed Trump. I directed Trump in Celebrity. He was a pleasure to work with and a very good actor. He was very polite, hit his mark, did everything correctly and had a real flair for show business.
"I could direct him now. If he would let me direct him now that he's president, I think I could do wonders."
A source close to Allen said: "Woody thought he was making an offhand remark about filmmaking, but it landed like a bomb in the industry.
"Hollywood's liberal crowd didn't find it amusing - they see Trump as toxic, and for Woody to praise him publicly was seen as crossing a line."