Author Michael Wolff says he stands by the content of his White House book, "Fire and Fury." (Associated Press)
Controversial anti-Trump author Michael Wolff appears to be wearing out his welcome among the liberal media elite after spending weeks as the toast of the industry.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has blasted Wolff’s book, “Fire and Fury,” as “tabloid gossip” laced with “false and fraudulent claims,” and many members of the mainstream media finally seem to agree with her on something.
While promoting the book on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Wolff said he was “absolutely sure” that President Trump was currently having an extramarital affair and teased that his book reveals the mistress if you “read between the lines.”
Internet sleuths quickly pointed to United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was forced to deny the speculation. Wolff has essentially tried to slut-shame Haley, pointing out that "Nikki Haley has chosen to vociferously deny something she was not accused of."
Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple has mocked Wolff, saying he should have simply admitted his comments to Maher were “ill-advised” before pointing out that Wolff has bragged about writing “millions” of words without issuing a correction.
“We’re learning why,” Wemple wrote.
Axios reporter Jonathan Swan tweeted to Wolff on Wednesday, “It must be fun to write and say whatever you want under the banner of ‘non-fiction,’ with zero fact-checking or basic decency.”
Swan then asked Wolff to remove his name from the author acknowledgment section for the next edition.
On Thursday Wolff was even cut off by MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski when the Haley rumors came up.
Brzezinski, who is about as anti-Trump as anyone on cable news and has repeatedly questioned the president’s ability to perform his job duties, said the credibility of the entire book is now in question.
She asked if Wolff regrets inferring that Haley was the president’s mistress, and the author attempted to backpedal before being cut off.
“You said she has embraced it… You might be having a fun time playing a little game dancing around this, but you’re slurring a woman, it’s disgraceful,” Brzezinski said.
Brzezinski and Wolff bickered about the specific language that was used before the segment was abruptly ended.
“If you don’t get what we’re talking about, I’m sorry, this is awkward, you’re here on the set with us, but we’re done,” Brzezinski said. “Michael Wolff, thank you. We’re going to go to break now.”
Wolff then took to Twitter and unleashed a series of messages attacking Brzezinski, who was famously scorned on social media by Trump himself.
“My bad, the President is right about Mika,” Wolff wrote to kick off the series of disparaging tweets aimed at the MSNBC star.
Mainstream media members and liberal pundits have tweeted displeasure with Wolff's recent actions.
Wolff’s book paints Trump as a lazy, disconnected buffoon who lays around eating cheeseburgers in bed while furiously watching cable news. Despite a plethora of errors and discredited tidbits, Wolff was paraded around the media world to promote “Fire and Fury,” appearing on everything from CNN and NBC’s “Today” show to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Following the release of news-making excerpts, personal lawyers for President Trump sent a letter to Wolff and the publisher of the book, demanding they “immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book.”
Instead of obeying, Wolff released the book early.
The book quickly became a top seller, but it’s fair to ponder if liberal pundits who once took the content as gospel now have a case of buyer’s remorse.
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