Rush to defend Trump from books claims creates more debate
Trump administration officials on Sunday are playing defense for their boss against shocking allegations reported in a new book detailing the first year of Trump’s presidency.
Multiple individuals close to President Trump hit the Sunday show circuit, including two Cabinet officials, but White House policy advisor Stephen Miller became the talk of the morning after Jake Tapper abruptly cut off a contentious interview with the Trump aide during CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Tapper called Miller "obsequious" for his defense, and Trump aides also took criticism from past administration officials for their approach to fighting back against the book's claims.
Michael Wolff’s book, titled “Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” has roiled Washington, D.C., since excerpts began leaking last week, ahead of its Friday release.
The account of Trump’s first year in office includes reporting that alleges Trump did not actually think he would win the 2016 election. It also contains quotes from former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon calling Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.”
The White House has since blasted the book as full of lies and denounced Bannon, with the president issuing a damning statement of his former top aide that said Bannon “lost his mind.”
Miller, a policy advisor to Trump, slammed the book during his CNN interview, calling it a “grotesque work of fiction” and a “pile of trash” written by a “garbage author.”
But the interview took a turn when Miller began to spar with Tapper over CNN’s coverage of the Trump White House. After several minutes, Tapper cut off the interview, telling Miller he was not answering his questions.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/367827-administration-rushes-to-trumps-defense-on-books-dramatic-claims
