Michael Wolff Discusses Fire and Fury at 6th and I   ... back >
Jan. 18, 2018 - Michael Wolff discussed his best-selling book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House with Jonathan Capehart in a sold-out event organized by Politics and Prose bookstore.  The book has been the talk of DC since it was released in early January.  In the discussion Wolff provided insights into how he gained such extraordinary access "It's all true." Wolff stated of the book.  "It is literally all true.  This book is Donald Trump in full."
"Everybody [at the White House] was under the impression that they were supposed to meet with me," Wolff said to laughter from the audience.  "I think on one level nobody knew quite how this came about," Wolff said.  Wolff said he spent a lot of time sitting in the West Wing lobby waiting and "trying not to be noticed."  He was "careful not to come in as a member of the press."  He said, "I became a familiar presence around the White House and I think  also very much a non-threatening presence."  [C-SPAN]
In a bit of a tease Wolff mentioned that there is a "shocking" revelation which he didn't explicitly include in the book because he could not "nail it."  Capehart could not get Wolff divulge, but Wolff did say "If you read between the lines it is there [in the book]" specifically "toward the end."

Publisher Henry Holt and Co. first released several excerpts of the Fire and Fury, prompting Trump's attorneys to respond with cease and desist letters to Holt, Steve Bannon and Wolff.  In the letter to Holt they wrote:

"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."

They demanded:

"...you immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the Book, the Article, or any excerpts or summaries of either of them, to any person or entity, and that you issue a full and complete retraction and apology to my client as to all statements made about him in the Book and Article that lack competent evidentiary support."  

Holt responded by moving up the publication date, originally scheduled for Jan. 9 to Jan. 5.  In a Jan. 8 response to Trump's attorney, Holt's attorney wrote, "My clients do not intend to cease publication, no such retraction will occur, and no apology is warranted."  Further:

"Though your letter provides a basic summary of New York libel law, telllingly, it stops short of identifying a single statement in the book that is factually false or defamatory.  Instead, the letter appears to be designed to silence legitimate criticism.  This is the antithesis of an actionable libel claim."
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