On Sunday, February 23, 2025, President Donald Trump admitted that it is possible some of his advisors spoke with author Michael Wolff for Wolff’s upcoming book, despite previous denials from the administration.
During a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Wolff’s forthcoming book, “All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America,” released on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The book holds several explosive allegations about the president and his inner circle.
Trump explained on Truth Social, “He called me many times trying to set up a meeting, but I never called him back because I didn’t want to give him the credibility of an interview. Others in the Administration were also called, they reported his calls, and likewise, did not talk to him. I assume, however, he was able to speak to a small number of people, but not meaningfully.”
This admission, suggesting some of his staff may have interacted with Wolff, contradicts previous blanket denials about the book’s contents from his administration. It coincides with a fierce attack on Wolff’s credibility by the White House.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a harsh statement in response to the book, saying, “He (Wolff) routinely fabricates stories originating from his sick and warped imagination, only possible because he has a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain.”
The book includes sensational claims such as First Lady Melania Trump deeply disliking her husband and the president fearing his death in a plane previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein.
Wolff reportedly spoke with Epstein at length about Trump in August 2017, with Epstein referring to himself as Trump’s “closest friend,” according to the book.
These revelations were first reported by The Daily Beast, along with claims that Trump was nearing a breakdown after an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania and was puzzled by Elon Musk’s behavior during his campaign.
In Wolff’s book, Trump was reportedly baffled by Musk’s awkward jump onto the stage at a campaign rally. “What the f*** is wrong with this guy?” Trump reportedly asked, also criticizing the fit of Musk’s shirt. The book alleges Musk was “wandering about by himself” at the rally and was given a “bag of pretzel sticks” to appease his hunger.
Wolff’s book also suggests Trump contemplated choosing a woman as his running mate, including Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo and Harris Faulkner, and that Musk wanted J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate.
In his Truth Social post, Trump predicted Wolff’s latest work would be “discredited,” citing Wolff’s 2018 bestseller, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.” That book sold millions of copies worldwide and included Steve Bannon among its sources. Bannon later expressed regret for his involvement.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Wolff says he has sources, but he doesn’t have them, it’s a LIE, as is the case with many so-called ‘journalists.’ If he has sources, let them be revealed. Watch, it will never happen.”
Trump added that Wolff “mentions the people that surrounded me during the Election, and in many cases now, in derogatory terms, but they couldn’t have been that bad because here I am in the White House, refusing to take his calls.”
Trump ended his post by labeling Wolff “FAKE NEWS, a total LOSER,” and advising his followers not to “waste their time or money in buying this boring and obviously fictitious book!”
According to The New York Times’ review of the book, Wolff portrays Trump as an “aggrieved pugilist” who fought a “life or death” campaign to reclaim the presidency in 2024. The review suggests that Wolff’s reporting style, which relies on anonymous sources and verbatim transcripts, is well-suited to covering Trump’s unconventional presidency.
The book includes coverage of Trump’s return to his Florida golf club after his 2020 election loss, the January 6th Capitol riot, and his successful 2024 campaign. In reaction to these parts of the book, Trump’s staff have dismissed it as “fiction” and “riddled with inaccuracies.”
The book also claims that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner did not sign a memo stating that Donald Trump was not antisemitic amid criticism of his stance on Israel.
Trump has previously faced unfavorable depictions in tell-all books. Works from former administration officials, including John Bolton, Mark Esper, William Barr, and Stephanie Grisham, also delivered critical views of Trump’s presidency. Many of these officials initially supported or stood by Trump before criticizing his actions, particularly surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6th Capitol insurrection.
According to the publisher, “All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America” offers a behind-the-scenes account of what it calls the “wildest, most unpredictable campaign in U.S. history.” The publisher claims the book details Trump’s relentless pursuit of power, his attacks on prosecutors and judges, and his ridicule of political opponents, including the sitting president.
