Other Trump officials have continued to discredit Wolff's claims in the book, many of which were made by Bannon.
- President Donald Trump said he gave the author of a tell-all book on the White House "zero access," and made a disparaging remark about Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist.
- Other Trump officials have continued to criticize Wolff's claims in the book, many of which were made by Bannon who targeted Trump's associates and members of his family.
President Donald Trump continued to lob disparaging remarks at former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, after the release of a book in which Bannon was quoted making a series of critical remarks on Trump's associates and members of his family.
In his tweet Thursday night, Trump called Bannon "Sloppy Steve," and railed against Michael Wolff, the author of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.." The newly released book details sensitive information on the inner-workings of the Trump administration, and includes extensive commentary from Bannon that prompted a brutal response from Trump.
"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book!," Trump said on Twitter. "I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist."
"Look at this guy’s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!," Trump continued.
Wolff, a columnist, reportedly had broad access to the West Wing during an 18-month period and conducted over 200 interviews, some of which were said to have been recorded. Despite the corroboration of some of the book's anecdotes by other reporters, White House officials attempted to discredit the book, after news outlets published stories based on the excerpts.
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley called Wolff a "crackpot, fake news fantasy fiction writer" in an interview with CNN on Thursday.
Despite Trump's denial, Wolff said he had some interaction with Trump and his aides. And according to the White House, it was Bannon who invited Wolff into the White House's inner circles.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called Wolff's book "trashy tabloid fiction" on Wednesday."
Trump's legal counsel has since issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon and the book's publisher, and also suggested that they may seek monetary damages. The publisher fast-tracked its release and it hit store shelves on Friday.