‘Fire and Fury’ book to be released four days EARLY despite Donald Trump’s threat to sue
A BOMBSHELL book that paints Donald Trump as an inept President in a chaotic White House will be published four days EARLY today - despite his threat to sue.
Sensational excerpts from Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House have laid bare his eccentricities and infuriated the US leader.
Trump's hard-hitting lawyer Charles J. Harder earlier issued a cease and desist letter to block the release - while asking for a copy for themselves.
But despite the threats, publisher Henry Holt and Co. has decided to release the book four days ahead of schedule.
The book will hit the shelves at 9am Eastern Time - 2pm in the UK - with author Michael Wolff tweeting: "Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President."
Wolff has already defended the claims in his book, saying he has tapes to back up quotes used in the book - and that the private dinner that saw Steve Bannon make his controversial comments was held at his own Manhattan townhouse,
The book has already caused controversy ahead of its release, with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders coming out swinging against it, saying that it contained "ridiculous lies".
The President himself called it "phony", and insisted he'd never spoken to Wolff "for the book".
He also branded his former strategy chief and campaign director Steve Bannon, who is quoted extensively in the book, as "sloppy".
She said: "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. Our focus is going to be on moving the country forward."
When asked whether Trump would go to court in an attempt to have the book banned from being published, she said: "That is something I would refer you to the president's attorneys, our position is very clear we think it is full of false and fake information."
Wolff's book is reportedly based on 200 interviews with White House staffers and members of Trump's election campaign team, including Steve Bannon.
The litany of bombshell claims in the book include that First Lady Melania "cried" when Trump won the election.
Other claims within the book include that Trump and his campaign team "didn't actually want to win the election" and that the President "eats cheeseburgers in bed while watching three TVs at once".
Another said that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, sought to become the "first woman president" - a plan she concocted with her husband Jared Kushner.
In response to claims that Trump never actually wanted to win the US presidency, Ms Sanders said: "It is absolutely laughable to to think that somebody like this president would run for office with the purpose of losing.
"If you guys know anything, you know that Donald Trump is a winner and he's not going to do something for the purpose of not coming out on top and not coming out as a winner it's just, that's one of the most ridiculous claims in the book."
Harder, who is representing the President’s private company the Trump Organisation, already blasted former White House strategist Bannon for collaborating with Wolff.
The lawyer accused the Breitbart chief of breaching confidentiality, insisting legal action was “imminent.”
A letter to Bannon read: “You have breached the Agreement by, among other things, communicating with author Michael Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company,
The letter continued: “…disclosing Confidential Information to Mr. Wolff, and making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements to Mr. Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company.”
Trump cut ties with Bannon on Wednesday, saying his former adviser had "lost his mind," in a blistering statement issued after comments attributed to Bannon in the book were made public.
And continuing to distance himself from Bannon, Trump said: "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency."
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But Bannon called Trump a "great man" in the wake of the book's controversy.
Some US news outlets have questioned the validity of statements made in Wolf's book.
Michael Wolff, 64, is best known for his columns which featured in New York magazine and Vanity Fair.
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