Trump Fire and Fury book dodges ban with early release
US president says the tell-all tale is full of lies and author had no White House access

The American publisher of a book alleging chaos in the White House has released advanced copies of it today, thwarting an attempt by Donald Trump’s lawyers to prevent its publication.
Washington's “political nerds” started queuing up at midnight to buy copies of the book, which is titled Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. These sold out quickly at Kramer Books in Washington DC, according to HuffPost. The Weekly Standard released a time-lapse video of the buying frenzy. Some are comparing it to a Harry Potter book launch.
CNN says the publishing date was brought forward by four days because of “unprecedented demand”. The decision came hours after Trump’s lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to publisher Henry Holt and Wolff.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Wolff’s book questions the US president’s mental stability and fitness to serve, and quotes former adviser Steve Bannon accusing Donald Trump Jr of treason for meeting Russians during the 2016 election.
Trump tweeted that he hadn’t given author Michael Wolff access to the White House. Nor had he spoken to him in connection with the book, which he described as being “full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist”. The president also distanced himself from his ex-adviser, saying Bannon had “lost his mind”.
Wolff’s track record for accuracy has been debated in the mainstream press. At the start of the book, even the author says that sources are likely to have been lying to him.
But Ryan Greeney, who was standing in a queue to buy the book, told the HuffPost that “in a dispute over truth, I’m probably going to believe the author.”
Some are taking to Twitter to parody the book before it has even hit the shelves.
Published extracts have thrown the White House into a “frenzy”, The Guardian writes.
About 250,000 copies of Fire and Fury have already been shipped.
4 January
Steve Bannon has ‘lost his mind’, says Donald Trump
Donald Trump has “excommunicated” Breitbart editor Steve Bannon, says The New York Times, following a number of extraordinary claims made by the former White House chief strategist.
In a forthcoming book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, written by Michael Wolff, Bannon paints an unflattering portrait of the President and his family.
He calls Ivanka Trump “dumb as a brick” and describes the meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic”.
When asked about the likely outcome of the Russia investigation, Bannon said: “They’re going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.”
Trump responded with a scathing statement, distancing himself from his former aide and playing down his role in the campaign and at the White House.
“Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency,” Trump said. “When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.”
According to The New York Times, “Mr. Trump went through at least three drafts of a statement with his communications director, Hope Hicks, and other aides before sending out a final version unlike any issued by a president against a top adviser in modern times.”
Wolff’s book also suggests that Trump did not expect to beat Hillary Clinton, and that he was alarmed when he drew ahead of her.
“A befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump,” is how Bannon describes him.
Wolff writes: “Shortly after 8pm on Election Night, when the unexpected trend – Trump might actually win – seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears – and not of joy.”
White House press secretary Sarah Saunders said the book is “filled with false and misleading accounts” and is “trashy tabloid fiction”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Law firms: Caving to White House pressure
Feature Trump targets major law firms tied to his past investigations
By The Week US Published
-
Rule of law: Are we in a constitutional crisis?
Feature Donald Trump defies federal court order to halt deportation flights to El Salvador
By The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why does Donald Trump want Greenland?
The Explainer Trump is not the only US president who has tried to gain control of Greenland
By The Week UK Published
-
What dangers does the leaked Signal chat expose the US to?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House's ballooning group chat scandal offered a masterclass in what not to say when prying eyes might be watching
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Even authoritarian regimes need a measure of public support — the consent of at least some of the governed'
instant opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published