Former White House strategist Steve Bannon was expected to be peppered with questions on the Trump campaign`s links to Russia in closed testimony to the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday.

Bannon, who has been mostly quiet since the release of an incendiary book about President Donald Trump in which he figured prominently as a source, was seen arriving in Congress for the hearing early Tuesday.

His insider role during the Trump election campaign and in the White House could provide crucial details to the committee, which is seeking to understand the extent of contact between Trump and his advisors and Russia, which is accused of interfering with the 2016 election.

It come after the release of &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,&quot; by Michael Wolff, who notably quotes Bannon as saying a pre-election meeting involving Trump`s eldest son Donald Jr. and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer was &quot;treasonous.&quot;

Bannon allowed Wolff, who painted a picture of an erratic and poorly informed president, substantial access to the White House during Trump`s first year.

Bannon, 64, was a powerful figure in the Trump election campaign and the White House in the early months of Trump`s presidency, pushing a hard-line nationalism aimed at shaking up US domestic and foreign policy.

But he was forced out from his job advising Trump in August, and his actions since then -- most notably supporting the failed Senate campaign of Alabama Republican Roy Moore, but also his comments in the Wolff book -- have left him increasingly isolated in conservative circles.

Last week he was forced to step down from Breitbart News, which he had helped make a powerful conservative force, and he lost the support of the Mercer family, wealthy conservative power brokers.

Underscoring the break, Trump said Bannon had &quot;lost his mind&quot; and branded him &quot;Sloppy Steve&quot; via Twitter.

Steve Bannon was seen arriving in Congress for the hearing early Tuesday

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon was expected to be peppered with questions on the Trump campaign`s links to Russia in closed testimony to the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday. Bannon, who has been mostly quiet since the release of an incendiary book about President Donald Trump in which he figured prominently as a source, was seen arriving in Congress for the hearing early Tuesday. His insider role during the Trump election campaign and in the White House could provide crucial details to the committee, which is seeking to understand the extent of contact between Trump and his advisors and Russia, which is accused of interfering with the 2016 election. It come after the release of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," by Michael Wolff, who notably quotes Bannon as saying a pre-election meeting involving Trump`s eldest son Donald Jr. and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer was "treasonous." Bannon allowed Wolff, who painted a picture of an erratic and poorly informed president, substantial access to the White House during Trump`s first year. Bannon, 64, was a powerful figure in the Trump election campaign and the White House in the early months of Trump`s presidency, pushing a hard-line nationalism aimed at shaking up US domestic and foreign policy. But he was forced out from his job advising Trump in August, and his actions since then -- most notably supporting the failed Senate campaign of Alabama Republican Roy Moore, but also his comments in the Wolff book -- have left him increasingly isolated in conservative circles. Last week he was forced to step down from Breitbart News, which he had helped make a powerful conservative force, and he lost the support of the Mercer family, wealthy conservative power brokers. Underscoring the break, Trump said Bannon had "lost his mind" and branded him "Sloppy Steve" via Twitter.

Bannon to testify in Congress in wake of explosive book on Trump

US President Donald Trump lashed out at a bombshell-filled book that hits the shelves on Friday, dismissing it as &quot;full of lies&quot; after threats of legal action failed to block its release.

Publishers responded to a cease-and-desist letter by moving forward by four days the release of &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; -- an expose by author and political muckraker Michael Wolff that quotes key Trump aides expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office.

&quot;I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for the author of the phony book! I never spoke to him for the book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don`t exist,&quot; Trump tweeted.

&quot;Look at this guy`s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!&quot; Trump wrote -- a possible reference to Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, or Steve Rubin, the publisher of Wolff`s book.

The book -- which paints Trump as mentally unstable and far out of his depth -- includes extensive quotes from Bannon, who also received a &quot;cease and desist&quot; order from Trump`s attorneys.

&quot;Your publication of the false/baseless statements about Mr. Trump gives rise to, among other claims, defamation by libel, defamation by libel per se, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contractual relations, and inducement of breach of contract,&quot; Trump`s lawyers said in the letter to Wolff.

In the book, excerpts of which were published this week, Bannon is quoted accusing Trump`s eldest son Don Jr of &quot;treasonous&quot; contacts with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, and saying the president`s daughter Ivanka, who imagines running for president one day, is &quot;dumb as a brick.&quot;But it is Trump himself who is cast in the most unfavorable light by a series of his top aides.

The book claims that for &quot;Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, the president was an `idiot.` For Gary Cohn, he was `dumb as shit.` For H.R. McMaster, he was a `dope.` The list went on.&quot;

White House issued a scorched-earth dismissal of the book, its author and his sources.

&quot;I don`t think (Americans) really care about some trash that an author that no one had ever heard of until today, or a fired employee, wants to peddle,&quot; said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, calling the book &quot;complete fantasy.&quot;

Behind the scenes, though, Trump has been enraged by the betrayal by Bannon -- a man who engineered the New York real estate mogul`s link to the nationalist far right and helped create a pro-Trump media ecosystem.&nbsp;

&quot;He called me a great man last night. He obviously changed his tune pretty quick,&quot; Trump said in the White House`s Roosevelt Room Thursday.&nbsp;

Sanders suggested that Bannon`s employer, Breitbart News, should consider firing him.He wasn`t fired, but Bannon`s main financial backer is formally cutting ties with him, The Washington Post reported.

&quot;I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected,&quot; the newspaper quoted billionaire conservative donor Rebekah Mercer as saying.

Her family has had no contact with Bannon for months, nor has it given money to support his political agenda, &quot;nor do we support his recent actions and statements,&quot; she was quoted as saying.

Bannon, who left the White House in August, is also quoted in the book as saying that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election will focus on money laundering.

The investigation by Mueller, a former FBI director, is looking into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to help get him elected -- a charge the president has repeatedly and vehemently denied. 
Russia-related allegations in the book also ensnare Don Junior, who took a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 after an intermediary promised material that would incriminate Trump`s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump`s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting at Trump Tower in New York.&quot;The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor -- with no lawyers,&quot; Bannon was quoted as saying in the book.&nbsp;

&quot;Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it`s all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately,&quot; he said.

Wolff`s book -- which he says is based on interviews with Trump, his senior aides and others -- makes a litany of shocking claims, including Trump`s belief that he installed Mohammed bin Salman as Saudi Arabia`s crown prince.

&quot;We`ve put our man on top,&quot; Trump is said to have claimed to friends.&nbsp;

The book also claims that Trump considered appointing a friend to the Supreme Court vacancy filled by Neil Gorsuch, eats food from McDonald`s because he believes it to be safe from poison, and that his team did not believe he was capable of winning the election.

&quot;Shortly after 8 p.m. 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,&quot; it said.

"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," Trump tweeted.

US President Donald Trump lashed out at a bombshell-filled book that hits the shelves on Friday, dismissing it as "full of lies" after threats of legal action failed to block its release. Publishers responded to a cease-and-desist letter by moving forward by four days the release of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" -- an expose by author and political muckraker Michael Wolff that quotes key Trump aides expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office. "I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for the author of the phony book! I never spoke to him for the book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don`t exist," Trump tweeted. "Look at this guy`s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" Trump wrote -- a possible reference to Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, or Steve Rubin, the publisher of Wolff`s book. The book -- which paints Trump as mentally unstable and far out of his depth -- includes extensive quotes from Bannon, who also received a "cease and desist" order from Trump`s attorneys. "Your publication of the false/baseless statements about Mr. Trump gives rise to, among other claims, defamation by libel, defamation by libel per se, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contractual relations, and inducement of breach of contract," Trump`s lawyers said in the letter to Wolff. In the book, excerpts of which were published this week, Bannon is quoted accusing Trump`s eldest son Don Jr of "treasonous" contacts with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, and saying the president`s daughter Ivanka, who imagines running for president one day, is "dumb as a brick."But it is Trump himself who is cast in the most unfavorable light by a series of his top aides. The book claims that for "Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, the president was an `idiot.` For Gary Cohn, he was `dumb as shit.` For H.R. McMaster, he was a `dope.` The list went on." White House issued a scorched-earth dismissal of the book, its author and his sources. "I don`t think (Americans) really care about some trash that an author that no one had ever heard of until today, or a fired employee, wants to peddle," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, calling the book "complete fantasy." Behind the scenes, though, Trump has been enraged by the betrayal by Bannon -- a man who engineered the New York real estate mogul`s link to the nationalist far right and helped create a pro-Trump media ecosystem. "He called me a great man last night. He obviously changed his tune pretty quick," Trump said in the White House`s Roosevelt Room Thursday. Sanders suggested that Bannon`s employer, Breitbart News, should consider firing him.He wasn`t fired, but Bannon`s main financial backer is formally cutting ties with him, The Washington Post reported. "I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected," the newspaper quoted billionaire conservative donor Rebekah Mercer as saying. Her family has had no contact with Bannon for months, nor has it given money to support his political agenda, "nor do we support his recent actions and statements," she was quoted as saying. Bannon, who left the White House in August, is also quoted in the book as saying that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election will focus on money laundering. The investigation by Mueller, a former FBI director, is looking into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to help get him elected -- a charge the president has repeatedly and vehemently denied. Russia-related allegations in the book also ensnare Don Junior, who took a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 after an intermediary promised material that would incriminate Trump`s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump`s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting at Trump Tower in New York."The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor -- with no lawyers," Bannon was quoted as saying in the book. "Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it`s all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately," he said. Wolff`s book -- which he says is based on interviews with Trump, his senior aides and others -- makes a litany of shocking claims, including Trump`s belief that he installed Mohammed bin Salman as Saudi Arabia`s crown prince. "We`ve put our man on top," Trump is said to have claimed to friends. The book also claims that Trump considered appointing a friend to the Supreme Court vacancy filled by Neil Gorsuch, eats food from McDonald`s because he believes it to be safe from poison, and that his team did not believe he was capable of winning the election. "Shortly after 8 p.m. 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," it said.

Trump lashes out at bombshell book after failing to block release

President Donald Trump&#39;s lawyer said on Thursday he would try to stop publication of a book that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House and threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over &quot;defamatory&quot; comments in the book.

&quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job.

Some of the harshest commentaries came from Bannon, the right-wing firebrand who headed the final stage of Trump&#39;s campaign and became chief strategist at the White House before being fired in August.

Charles Harder, Trump&#39;s personal lawyer, in a legal notice provided to Reuters, warned of possible claims including libel against Wolff and publisher Henry Holt &amp; Co and threatened to try to block publication of the book. Harder also told Reuters that &quot;legal action is imminent&quot; against Bannon.

The publishing house announced that &quot;due to unprecedented demand,&quot; it would release the book on Friday morning, rushing it to print after previously planning to put it out next Tuesday.

Wolff and Holt did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump cut ties with Bannon on Wednesday, saying his former adviser had &quot;lost his mind,&quot; in a blistering statement issued after comments attributed to Bannon in the book were made public.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders heaped scorn on Bannon and the book at her briefing on Thursday. She said Breitbart News should consider firing Bannon and attempted to cast doubt on Wolff&#39;s accuracy.

She called the book &quot;some trash&quot; that came from &quot;an author that no one had ever heard of until today.&quot;

&quot;This book is mistake after mistake after mistake,&quot; she said.

Trump lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon on Wednesday asking him not to disclose any confidential information. They said Bannon had breached an agreement by communicating with Wolff about Trump, his family and the campaign and made &quot;disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements&quot; about them.

In the book, Bannon was quoted as describing a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York as &quot;treasonous&quot; and &quot;unpatriotic.&quot; The meeting, held after the Russians promised damaging information on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was attended by Donald Trump Jr., Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, Trump&#39;s campaign manager at the time.

Trump&#39;s statement also diminished Bannon&#39;s role in the election victory and accused him of leaking to the media. Before joining the campaign, Bannon headed the conservative Breitbart News website and proved to be a divisive figure in the White House. He returned to Breitbart after being fired, although he is reported to have continued to talk with Trump.

&#39;Chnaged his tune&#39;

Bannon&#39;s reaction to the book controversy has been muted. In interviews with Breitbart News after the news broke, he called Trump a &quot;great man&quot; and pledged continued support for the president&#39;s agenda.

The president took note. &quot;He called me a great man last night so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick,&quot; Trump told reporters on Thursday. &quot;I don&#39;t talk to him. That&#39;s a misnomer.&quot;

Bradley Moss, a Washington lawyer specializing in national security law, said any non-disclosure agreement would not apply to Bannon once he became a government employee. The government has far less power to limit speech by employees than private companies, Moss said.

A lawsuit could hurt Trump because Bannon&#39;s lawyers would be entitled to interview White House officials and collect potentially damaging documents from them in his defence, Moss said.

&quot;I assume the cease-and-desist letter is aimed primarily at the public,&quot; added Michael Dorf, a professor at Cornell Law School. &quot;The idea that he could block publication is absurd.&quot;

On Thursday, the White House also said no personal devices, including cellphones, would be allowed in the White House West Wing beginning next week for security purposes. The moves followed the Bannon split but had been considered for some time, White House officials said.

Bannon helped Trump shape a populist, anti-establishment message and had been the president&#39;s link to his hard-line conservative base of support, which is often at odds with the Republican Party establishment.

The story that triggered the Trump-Bannon split was an offshoot of the investigation into whether Trump campaign aides colluded with Russia to sway the election to Trump, allegations Trump and Moscow deny.

Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, another campaign aide, pleaded not guilty in November to federal charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller including conspiracy to launder money. Manafort sued Mueller on Wednesday, alleging that his investigation exceeded its legal authority.

"Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job

President Donald Trump's lawyer said on Thursday he would try to stop publication of a book that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House and threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over "defamatory" comments in the book. "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job. Some of the harshest commentaries came from Bannon, the right-wing firebrand who headed the final stage of Trump's campaign and became chief strategist at the White House before being fired in August. Charles Harder, Trump's personal lawyer, in a legal notice provided to Reuters, warned of possible claims including libel against Wolff and publisher Henry Holt & Co and threatened to try to block publication of the book. Harder also told Reuters that "legal action is imminent" against Bannon. The publishing house announced that "due to unprecedented demand," it would release the book on Friday morning, rushing it to print after previously planning to put it out next Tuesday. Wolff and Holt did not respond to requests for comment. 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. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders heaped scorn on Bannon and the book at her briefing on Thursday. She said Breitbart News should consider firing Bannon and attempted to cast doubt on Wolff's accuracy. She called the book "some trash" that came from "an author that no one had ever heard of until today." "This book is mistake after mistake after mistake," she said. Trump lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon on Wednesday asking him not to disclose any confidential information. They said Bannon had breached an agreement by communicating with Wolff about Trump, his family and the campaign and made "disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements" about them. In the book, Bannon was quoted as describing a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic." The meeting, held after the Russians promised damaging information on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was attended by Donald Trump Jr., Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager at the time. Trump's statement also diminished Bannon's role in the election victory and accused him of leaking to the media. Before joining the campaign, Bannon headed the conservative Breitbart News website and proved to be a divisive figure in the White House. He returned to Breitbart after being fired, although he is reported to have continued to talk with Trump. 'Chnaged his tune' Bannon's reaction to the book controversy has been muted. In interviews with Breitbart News after the news broke, he called Trump a "great man" and pledged continued support for the president's agenda. The president took note. "He called me a great man last night so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick," Trump told reporters on Thursday. "I don't talk to him. That's a misnomer." Bradley Moss, a Washington lawyer specializing in national security law, said any non-disclosure agreement would not apply to Bannon once he became a government employee. The government has far less power to limit speech by employees than private companies, Moss said. A lawsuit could hurt Trump because Bannon's lawyers would be entitled to interview White House officials and collect potentially damaging documents from them in his defence, Moss said. "I assume the cease-and-desist letter is aimed primarily at the public," added Michael Dorf, a professor at Cornell Law School. "The idea that he could block publication is absurd." On Thursday, the White House also said no personal devices, including cellphones, would be allowed in the White House West Wing beginning next week for security purposes. The moves followed the Bannon split but had been considered for some time, White House officials said. Bannon helped Trump shape a populist, anti-establishment message and had been the president's link to his hard-line conservative base of support, which is often at odds with the Republican Party establishment. The story that triggered the Trump-Bannon split was an offshoot of the investigation into whether Trump campaign aides colluded with Russia to sway the election to Trump, allegations Trump and Moscow deny. Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, another campaign aide, pleaded not guilty in November to federal charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller including conspiracy to launder money. Manafort sued Mueller on Wednesday, alleging that his investigation exceeded its legal authority.

Explosive book on Trump's White House to be released early after Trump's lawyers try to block it

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-donald-trump-of-interfering-in-internal-affairs-28508" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> did not want to be the president of the US and First Lady Melania was in tears not of joy on knowing about his surprising electoral victory last year, according to a new book by an American journalist.

The book &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-28391" target="_blank">Trump White House</a>&quot; written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win.

&quot;His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. I can be the most famous man in the world,&quot; he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race.

&quot;His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president,&quot; according to the excerpts of the book.

Shortly after Trump&#39;s inauguration, Wolff said, he was able to take up &quot;something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing&quot; an idea encouraged by the president himself. Because no one was in a position to either officially approve or formally deny such access, Wolff became &quot;more a constant interloper than an invited guest.&quot;

&quot;There were no ground rules placed on his access, and he was required to make no promises about how he would report on what he witnessed,&quot; the book said.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has however denied this after excerpts from the book were published by New York Magazine with the title &quot;Donald Trump Did Not Want to be President.&quot;

&quot;There was one brief conversation that had nothing to do, originally, with the book. It was, I think, around five to seven minutes in total since the President has taken office. And that&#39;s the only interaction that he&#39;s had,&quot; she said.

According to Wolff, after entering the White House, Trump, while proposing the most radical departure from governing and policy norms in several generations, had few specific ideas about how to turn his themes and vitriol into policy.

&quot;And making suggestions to him was deeply complicated. Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didn&#39;t process information in any conventional sense. He didn&#39;t read. He didn&#39;t really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate. He trusted his own expertise&nbsp;no matter how paltry or irrelevant&nbsp;more than anyone else&#39;s,&quot; the author claimed.

&quot;Shortly after 8 PM on election night, when the unexpected trend&nbsp;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&nbsp;and not of joy,&quot; the book said.

&quot;There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon&#39;s not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States,&quot; according to the book.

Wolf claims that from the moment of victory, the Trump administration became a looking-glass presidency: Every inverse assumption about how to assemble and run a White House was enacted and compounded, many times over.

&quot;The decisions that Trump and his top advisers made in those first few months&nbsp;from the slapdash transition to the disarray in the West Wing set the stage for the chaos and dysfunction that have persisted throughout his first year in office,&quot; Wolf said in his book.

&quot;This was a real-life version of Mel Brooks&nbsp;The Producers, where the mistaken outcome trusted by everyone in Trump&#39;s inner circle that they would lose the election wound up exposing them for who they really were,&quot; Wolff said.

According to New York Magazine, Wolff, who chronicles the administration from the Election Day to this past October, conducted conversations and interviews over a period of 18 months with the president, most members of his senior staff, and many people to whom they in turn spoke.

&quot;Nothing contributed to the chaos and dysfunction of the White House as much as Trump&#39;s own behavior. The big deal of being president was just not apparent to him,&quot; Wolff said.

&quot;Most victorious candidates, arriving in the White House from ordinary political life, could not help but be reminded of their transformed circumstances by their sudden elevation to a mansion with palaces like servants and security, a plane at constant readiness, and downstairs a retinue of courtiers and advisers. But this wasn&#39;t that different from Trump&#39;s former life in Trump Tower, which was actually more commodious and to his taste than the White House,&quot; said the author.

The White House has ridiculed the contents of the book, which will hit the stores next week, and described it as a fiction.

&quot;This book is filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House,&quot; Sanders said.

&quot;Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy,&quot; she said.

The White House has described the book as &quot;trashy tabloid fiction.&quot;

&quot;The author did not get any access from the White House for this book. He never actually sat down with the President, just to be very clear,&quot; Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

&quot;I know that the book has a lot of things, so far of what we&#39;ve seen, that is completely untrue. You have many people that have quotes that are sourced to them that are now coming out publicly and saying that those things are not true,&quot; she said in response to a question.

The book also says that US President Donald Trump was sympathetic to the issues of Silicon Valley including H-1B visa issue.

This appears to be contrary to the tough stand he has taken on H-1B visa now. After a meeting with a delegation of Silicon Valley leaders at the Trump Towers on December 14, 2016.

Trump then as president-elect is quoted as saying that the tech industry needs help as there are too much of a regulation.

&quot;Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas,&quot; Trump is quoted as telling Rupert Murdoch over phone after the meeting, according to the book.

&quot;The president-elect enjoyed being courted. On December 14, a high-level delegation from Silicon Valley came to Trump Tower to meet him. Later that afternoon, according to a source privy to details of the conversation, Trump called Rupert Murdoch, who asked him how the meeting had gone,&quot; Wolff writes in the book.

&quot;Oh, great, just great,&quot; said Trump. &quot;These guys really need my help. Obama was not very favorable to them, too much regulation. This is really an opportunity for me to help them,&quot; the book said.

&quot;Donald,&quot; said Murdoch, &quot;for eight years these guys had Obama in their pocket. They practically ran the administration. They don&#39;t need your help. Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas,&quot; Trump said, according to the book.

&quot;Murdoch suggested that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas, which open America&#39;s doors to select immigrants, might be hard to square with his promises to build a wall and close the borders. But Trump seemed unconcerned, assuring Murdoch, &quot;We&#39;ll figure it out,&quot; Wolff writes.

&quot;What a fucking idiot,&quot; said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone, the author claims.

The sympathetic view of Trump towards H-1B visa appears contrary to his public views on this popular work visa. Even during his election days, he had called for his strict review and described it as eating away with American jobs.

After becoming the president, Trump has ordered for review of H-1B visas. His administration has come out with strict policies on issuing H-1B visas, the book said.

The book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win

Donald Trump did not want to be the president of the US and First Lady Melania was in tears not of joy on knowing about his surprising electoral victory last year, according to a new book by an American journalist. The book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" written by Michael Wolff, claims that the ultimate goal of Trump was never to win. "His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. I can be the most famous man in the world," he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race. "His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president," according to the excerpts of the book. Shortly after Trump's inauguration, Wolff said, he was able to take up "something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing" an idea encouraged by the president himself. Because no one was in a position to either officially approve or formally deny such access, Wolff became "more a constant interloper than an invited guest." "There were no ground rules placed on his access, and he was required to make no promises about how he would report on what he witnessed," the book said. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has however denied this after excerpts from the book were published by New York Magazine with the title "Donald Trump Did Not Want to be President." "There was one brief conversation that had nothing to do, originally, with the book. It was, I think, around five to seven minutes in total since the President has taken office. And that's the only interaction that he's had," she said. According to Wolff, after entering the White House, Trump, while proposing the most radical departure from governing and policy norms in several generations, had few specific ideas about how to turn his themes and vitriol into policy. "And making suggestions to him was deeply complicated. Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didn't process information in any conventional sense. He didn't read. He didn't really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate. He trusted his own expertise no matter how paltry or irrelevant more than anyone else's," the author claimed. "Shortly after 8 PM 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," the book said. "There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon's not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States," according to the book. Wolf claims that from the moment of victory, the Trump administration became a looking-glass presidency: Every inverse assumption about how to assemble and run a White House was enacted and compounded, many times over. "The decisions that Trump and his top advisers made in those first few months from the slapdash transition to the disarray in the West Wing set the stage for the chaos and dysfunction that have persisted throughout his first year in office," Wolf said in his book. "This was a real-life version of Mel Brooks The Producers, where the mistaken outcome trusted by everyone in Trump's inner circle that they would lose the election wound up exposing them for who they really were," Wolff said. According to New York Magazine, Wolff, who chronicles the administration from the Election Day to this past October, conducted conversations and interviews over a period of 18 months with the president, most members of his senior staff, and many people to whom they in turn spoke. "Nothing contributed to the chaos and dysfunction of the White House as much as Trump's own behavior. The big deal of being president was just not apparent to him," Wolff said. "Most victorious candidates, arriving in the White House from ordinary political life, could not help but be reminded of their transformed circumstances by their sudden elevation to a mansion with palaces like servants and security, a plane at constant readiness, and downstairs a retinue of courtiers and advisers. But this wasn't that different from Trump's former life in Trump Tower, which was actually more commodious and to his taste than the White House," said the author. The White House has ridiculed the contents of the book, which will hit the stores next week, and described it as a fiction. "This book is filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House," Sanders said. "Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy," she said. The White House has described the book as "trashy tabloid fiction." "The author did not get any access from the White House for this book. He never actually sat down with the President, just to be very clear," Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. "I know that the book has a lot of things, so far of what we've seen, that is completely untrue. You have many people that have quotes that are sourced to them that are now coming out publicly and saying that those things are not true," she said in response to a question. The book also says that US President Donald Trump was sympathetic to the issues of Silicon Valley including H-1B visa issue. This appears to be contrary to the tough stand he has taken on H-1B visa now. After a meeting with a delegation of Silicon Valley leaders at the Trump Towers on December 14, 2016. Trump then as president-elect is quoted as saying that the tech industry needs help as there are too much of a regulation. "Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas," Trump is quoted as telling Rupert Murdoch over phone after the meeting, according to the book. "The president-elect enjoyed being courted. On December 14, a high-level delegation from Silicon Valley came to Trump Tower to meet him. Later that afternoon, according to a source privy to details of the conversation, Trump called Rupert Murdoch, who asked him how the meeting had gone," Wolff writes in the book. "Oh, great, just great," said Trump. "These guys really need my help. Obama was not very favorable to them, too much regulation. This is really an opportunity for me to help them," the book said. "Donald," said Murdoch, "for eight years these guys had Obama in their pocket. They practically ran the administration. They don't need your help. Take this H-1B visa issue. They really need these H-1B visas," Trump said, according to the book. "Murdoch suggested that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas, which open America's doors to select immigrants, might be hard to square with his promises to build a wall and close the borders. But Trump seemed unconcerned, assuring Murdoch, "We'll figure it out," Wolff writes. "What a fucking idiot," said Murdoch, shrugging, as he got off the phone, the author claims. The sympathetic view of Trump towards H-1B visa appears contrary to his public views on this popular work visa. Even during his election days, he had called for his strict review and described it as eating away with American jobs. After becoming the president, Trump has ordered for review of H-1B visas. His administration has come out with strict policies on issuing H-1B visas, the book said.

Trump did not want to be US president: Book