Trump lawyer seeks to block insider book on White House
Stephen K. Bannon
President Trump used to have kind words for  his former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon   but things changed with  his  scathing statement on Jan. 3. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
President Trump used to have kind words for  his former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon   but things changed with  his  scathing statement on Jan. 3. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
A lawyer representing President Trump sought Thursday to stop the publication of a new behind-the-scenes book about the White House that has already led Trump to angrily decry his former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon.
The latest twist in the showdown came after lawyers accused  Bannon  of breaching a confidentiality agreement and Trump denounced  his  former aide as a self-aggrandizing political charlatan who has “lost  his  mind.”
The White House’s sharp public break with Bannon  which came in response to unflattering comments  he  made about Trump and  his  family in a new book about  his  presidency  left the self-fashioned populist alienated from  his  chief patron and even more isolated in  his  attempts to remake the Republican Party by backing insurgent candidates.
In a lengthy statement issued in the afternoon  Trump blamed  Bannon  — his former campaign manager and chief strategist who now heads the conservative Breitbart News website — for everything from leaks to the news media to the upset GOP loss in last month’s Senate race in Alabama. The president cast  Bannon  as a disgruntled former staffer whose chief goal is to stir up trouble.
 “Steve Bannon  has nothing to do with me or my Presidency ” the statement said. “When  he  was fired   he  not only lost  his  job   he  lost  his  mind.”
The White House also released a statement from the first lady’s office condemning Wolff’s book as a title to be found in the “bargain fiction” bin  while the Republican National Committee said Wolff has “a long history of making stuff up.” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders  meanwhile  devoted much of her Wednesday news briefing Wednesday to disputing Wolff’s claims and seeking to undermine  Bannon ’s credibility.
President Trump congratulates chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon during the swearing-in of senior staffers at the White House last January. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
The response was a marked departure from mid-October  when Trump called  Bannon  “a friend of mine” and said he understood his perspective.
One senior White House official said Trump advisers considered Wolff friendly and believed it would be beneficial to speak with him; this person also said that Wolff interviewed Trump. A second senior White House official said the president had viewed  Bannon  as a useful ally when  he  was frustrated with congressional leadership and that  while  he  didn’t consider  Bannon  a close confidant   he  also didn’t want  him  as an enemy.
Allies said  Bannon  was largely incommunicado on Wednesday.  He  had considered issuing a statement denouncing the book and denying some of the quotes but was not able to do so before Trump went on the attack  they said.
After being forced from the White House in August   Bannon  and the president still occasionally talked on the phone. But West Wing aides have long maintained that  Bannon  overstated the frequency of  his  calls with — and influence over — the president.
“If all of us are being honest with ourselves  I don’t think you would have found more than 2 percent of politicians or reporters who knew who  Stephen K. Bannon  was ” Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.)  said in a recent interview. “Trump had already won the nomination and the primary. Whether you like the president or not  he is responsible for his win.”
A White House official said call logs show Trump has spoken with  Bannon  only five times since the former adviser left and the official said most of the calls were initiated by  Bannon . Trump  however  often uses cellphones to talk with outside advisers and confidants.
Trump had complained for several months about portrayals of  Bannon  as a political “Svengali ” according to one adviser who speaks with Trump frequently. “This has been a long time coming ” the person said. Several others said the relationship may be irreparable.
President Trump used to have kind words for  his former chief strategist [TGT]   but things changed with  his  scathing statement on Jan. 3. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
President Trump used to have kind words for  his former chief strategist [TGT]   but things changed with  his  scathing statement on Jan. 3. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
A lawyer representing President Trump sought Thursday to stop the publication of a new behind-the-scenes book about the White House that has already led Trump to angrily decry his former chief strategist [TGT].
The latest twist in the showdown came after lawyers accused  Bannon  of breaching a confidentiality agreement and Trump denounced  his  former aide as a self-aggrandizing political charlatan who has “lost  his  mind.”
The White House’s sharp public break with Bannon  which came in response to unflattering comments  he  made about Trump and  his  family in a new book about  his  presidency  left the self-fashioned populist alienated from  his  chief patron and even more isolated in  his  attempts to remake the Republican Party by backing insurgent candidates.
In a lengthy statement issued in the afternoon  Trump blamed  Bannon  — his former campaign manager and chief strategist who now heads the conservative Breitbart News website — for everything from leaks to the news media to the upset GOP loss in last month’s Senate race in Alabama. The president cast  Bannon  as a disgruntled former staffer whose chief goal is to stir up trouble.
 “Steve Bannon  has nothing to do with me or my Presidency ” the statement said. “When  he  was fired   he  not only lost  his  job   he  lost  his  mind.”
The White House also released a statement from the first lady’s office condemning Wolff’s book as a title to be found in the “bargain fiction” bin  while the Republican National Committee said Wolff has “a long history of making stuff up.” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders  meanwhile  devoted much of her Wednesday news briefing Wednesday to disputing Wolff’s claims and seeking to undermine  Bannon ’s credibility.
President Trump congratulates chief strategist [TGT] during the swearing-in of senior staffers at the White House last January. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
The response was a marked departure from mid-October  when Trump called  Bannon  “a friend of mine” and said he understood his perspective.
One senior White House official said Trump advisers considered Wolff friendly and believed it would be beneficial to speak with him; this person also said that Wolff interviewed Trump. A second senior White House official said the president had viewed  Bannon  as a useful ally when  he  was frustrated with congressional leadership and that  while  he  didn’t consider  Bannon  a close confidant   he  also didn’t want  him  as an enemy.
Allies said  Bannon  was largely incommunicado on Wednesday.  He  had considered issuing a statement denouncing the book and denying some of the quotes but was not able to do so before Trump went on the attack  they said.
After being forced from the White House in August   Bannon  and the president still occasionally talked on the phone. But West Wing aides have long maintained that  Bannon  overstated the frequency of  his  calls with — and influence over — the president.
“If all of us are being honest with ourselves  I don’t think you would have found more than 2 percent of politicians or reporters who knew who  [TGT]  was ” Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.)  said in a recent interview. “Trump had already won the nomination and the primary. Whether you like the president or not  he is responsible for his win.”
A White House official said call logs show Trump has spoken with  Bannon  only five times since the former adviser left and the official said most of the calls were initiated by  Bannon . Trump  however  often uses cellphones to talk with outside advisers and confidants.
Trump had complained for several months about portrayals of  Bannon  as a political “Svengali ” according to one adviser who speaks with Trump frequently. “This has been a long time coming ” the person said. Several others said the relationship may be irreparable.