“Fire and Fury” Michael Wolff walks off interview, claims tech issue
After being asked if he owed an apology to President Trump for a rumor in his explosive book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” Michael Wolff claims that his audio wasn’t working and walked off the set. But was it real?
"Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" author Michael Wolff appeared to pretend his audio malfunctioned during an appearance on an Australian TV program to avoid answering questions about a rumor he started regarding President Trump allegedly having an extramarital affair.
"You said during a TV interview just last month that you are 'absolutely sure' that Donald Trump is currently having an affair while president behind the back of the First Lady, and I repeat you said you were 'absolutely sure,’” Australian “Today” show host Ben Fordham asked. “Do you owe the president and the First Lady an apology?”
Wolff attempted to interrupt the question before saying, “I can’t hear you.”
Fordham repeated his question but Wolff appeared to speak to someone off set and said, “I’m not getting anything.” The host then asked Wolff if he could hear him, and the controversial author answered but claimed he was “not getting anything.”
“We were hearing each other well just before,” a clearly dejected Fordham said. “Mr. Wolff was hearing me before but he’s not hearing me… looks like the interview may be over.”
Wolff then took out his earpiece and walked off the set. The program reviewed the audio and revealed that Wolff could hear the question all along.
“This footage from our London studio reveals that there were no audio problems and Wolff could clearly hear,” the show’s official Twitter account wrote in a message that accompanied the audio.
While promoting the book on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in January, 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."
The mainstream media appeared to turn on Wolff because of the Haley speculation after initially treating him like an anti-Trump hero.
Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple mocked Wolff at the time, 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.
MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika 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, cut Wolff off when the Haley rumors came up.
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.”
After Wolff was widely criticized for speculating Trump was having an affair, he backtracked when appearing on Dutch TV last week.
"I do not know if the president is having an affair,” he said.
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