Over book
THE WHITE HOUSE trashed an explosive new book about the Trump presidency Thursday, calling it “complete fantasy,” as President Trump further distanced himself from the right-wing zealot who was once his right-hand man.
“I don’t talk to him. I don’t talk to him,” Trump said of Stephen Bannon, his one-time policy architect who is quoted extensively in the searing tome.
Trump told reporters it’s “just a misnomer” that he stays in touch with his former chief strategist.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sounded off on the book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” calling author Michael Wolff’s take on the Trump administration “trash” and “full of lies.”
“There are numerous examples of falsehoods that take place in the book,” said Sanders. “There are numerous mistakes, but I’m not going to waste my time or the country’s time going page by page, talking about a book that’s complete fantasy and just full of tabloid gossip, because it’s sad, pathetic, and our administration and our focus is going to be on moving the country forward.”
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci also picked apart the book, denying a claim that Trump didn’t actually want to become President.
“For someone to say he didn’t think he was going to win, or that he was going to win by losing, I sort of think that’s a bunch of nonsense,” Scaramucci said Thursday on CNN’s “New Day.”
Trump took another shot at Bannon and the book on Twitter late Thursday.
“I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! 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!” he ranted.
But Wolff stood by his account, saying he had “dozens of hours” of tapes to verify the many quotes that caused massive embarrassment for the administration. Among the book’s revelations is that Trump is increasingly repeating the same thing within minutes and that those in his inner circle doubt he’s up to the task of being President.
Bannon described Trump as a “great man” during an appearance on Sirius XM radio’s “Breitbart News Tonight” late Wednesday.
“You know I support him day in and day out,” Bannon said hours after Trump released a statement saying Bannon had “lost his mind.”
Meanwhile, Wolff’s publisher had a quick response to a demand from the President’s lawyer that it “cease and desist” from publishing the book — an early release.
“Here we go,” Wolff tweeted Thursday. “You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Meanwhile, Bannon was hit with more fallout from his reported comments in “Fire and Fury.”
Rebekah Mercer, a top Republican donor, issued a statement Thursday making it clear she and her hedge-fund magnate father had cut ties to him.
“My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements,” she wrote.