Based on 200 interviews with members of the Trump Administration, Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House presents the chaos inside the West Wing as well as the infighting between key figures like Steve Bannon and members of the Trump family. One of the most incendiary claims by Wolff is that Bannon thinks Donald Trump, Jr. committed treason by meeting with the Russians to get “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. The other shocking aspect of Fire and Fury that struck me was that everyone who spoke with Michael Wolff thinks Donald Trump is an infantile idiot. Trump doesn’t read. He doesn’t study. He just loves to Tweet. It’s hard to gauge just how much of Fire and Fury is true and how much of it is just venting by frustrated White House staffers. Working for Trump is clearly a downer and the atmosphere in the West Wing is toxic. But, if much of Michael Wolff’s picture of White House dysfunction is true, then the USA is in deep trouble. This is a riveting book! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Author’s Note
Prologue: Ailes and Bannon
Chapter One: Election Day
Chapter Five: Jarvanka
Chapter Six: At Home
The author is on Stephen Colbert tonight.
Steve, Micheal Wolff is on several talk shows today including MORNING JOE.
I’ve already seen a lot of comments on this all over the world’s media – Masha Gessen eg is critical of Wolff, it’s a crazy story and the fact that Trump sent his lawyers out to ban the book makes it crazier still.
PS and OT re the author:
Hey, he took my name! 🙂
Wolf, Trump’s lame efforts to suppress FIRE & FURY only helped sell more copies of the book.
(Is bolding turned on?)
I see Steve Bannon is backpedaling as fast as he can—issuing several obsequious apologies (but not actually denying anything that he’s quoted as saying) and pretty much making Paul Manafort the fall guy. I think this must be the narrative the White House has decided to adopt (as much as this White House can be said to adopt any coherent strategy): it’s all mean ol’ Manafort’s fault and everyone else (particularly Don Jr.—who seems to be emerging more and more as a crime boss’s enforcer) was mislead but that treasonous snake. I’m sure Bannon’s decision to eat crow is related in large part to the millions of dollars the Mercer family has poured into Breitbart since 2016.
/otoh, I don’t think we needed this book to know how deeply f*cked we are with Trump “running” the country!
Deb, FIRE & FURY just confirms many of the stories we’ve all heard about White House chaos. It can only get worse.
I know he is not considered the most trustworthy reporter but at least in essence I believe this book to be mostly true.Or enough of it it to further scare us.
Patti, Michael Wolff claims he has tapes of the interviews. And, notice no one in the White House is denying the quotes in FIRE & FURY.
Seems like just a week or 10 days ago we were agreeing that the market was glutted for books like this.
Dan, Steve Bannan’s incendiary charges of Donald, Jr.’s “treason” is selling this book.
I’m not a Wolff fan – never have been – but I don’t doubt for a second that it’s mostly true.
I’m still surprised that a year has gone by without any stories about Penn – we know Trump probably got in thanks to Daddy’s money, but who did the work, wrote his papers, took his exams? We know he doesn’t read, so it sure wasn’t him, unless we’re to believe he has deteriorated even more than we thought.
Jeff, Fake Degree?
I worked at the bookstore Saturday night for 3 hours. We had lots of inquiries about this book, which is sold out everywhere and on backorder.
One guy wouldn’t put his name on a request list because Trump is in the White House and he was actually afraid it might come back to bite him in the butt! Wow!
Can’t wait to read it !! Fake news! Fake news!
Beth, FIRE & FURY is news that will stay news for a few more weeks until the next crisis.
I’m hoping that he does have the tapes, and then when the orange one sues him, they are played for the entire country and world to hear. Maybe then his supporters will have their eyes opened (not sure they can ever do that – until he tries to take away medicare and soc sec.)
Jeff. I’ve also wondered where the stories are about his school years, though there was something about his lack of athletic ability
Maggie, Trump sure plays a lot of golf.
I’m thoroughly convinced this is far more fact than fiction; in fact, I doubt there’s any fiction here. But, then, I’m prejudiced.
Jerry, so many White House staffers told Michael Wolff the same things about Trump. And, no one is denying what they told him.
Trying to turn off Bold: , see if that works. I suspect you have the bold on from the end of your comments on the book, listing the chapters.
Nope, you’ll have to do it, George.
Meanwhile, the book. There is a stunning wait list for the book at the library, over 1,100 people, and the book still shows as “on order” (they have to process it into the system). Not that I’m interested in reading it, I already understand things are screwed up with the President, the White House, the Administration, etc. I also expect that pro-Trumpians will ignore or poo-poo what the book has to say, while anti-trumpets will mostly buy in. So nothing much changes.
Rick, I think I fixed the BOLDing. I agree, it will be a wash between the pro-Trump and anti-Trump folks despite this book. FIRE & FURY certain touched a nerve!
In an other topic,
I find I have zero interest in the National Championship college game which is tonight. Two SEC teams play for…what? Bragging rights. So?
Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to the Vikings-Saints game next weekend.
Rick, I’ll watch tonight’s Georgia vs. Alabama game to about Half-time. I have no dog in this fight.
Ditto. No interest here either. The Saints -Vikings game is the one I’m most interested in seeing too.
Don’t know why, but this whole affair reminded me of one of my favourite rock groups and a song from 1971 (!) which describes my current feelings re the USA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT5EIcsqDP0
Chicago: Lowdown …
Oh my
Life has passed me by
The country I was brought up in
Fell apart and died
Oh no
Love’s no longer there
Cold wind blew away the sun
That used to warm the air
Maybe the second stanza describes your current weather in the North/on the East Coast? 🙂
Wolf, maybe The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is more appropriate.
I forgot to ask what you thought of the Golden Globes show last night. There seemed to be a theme running through it… I want to see (when DVD is available) Darkest Hour and The Post.
Rick, we plan on seeing THE POST this week. If the times are right, we’ll see DARKEST HOUR, too.
Even the liberal press is calling this book wildly speculative and full of innuendo and unsupported claims!
Bob, sounds like it fits the Trump White House to a tee!
Lies don’t help anyone!