The Latest: Trump blasts Bannon, saying 'he lost his mind' | News & Observer

The Latest on a new book about President Donald Trump (all times local):

6:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump is blasting his former chief strategist ahead of the release of a new, unflattering book.

Trump says that when Steve Bannon was fired, "he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."

The new book by Michael Wolff offers a series of explosive revelations and allegations. It paints Trump as a leader who doesn't understand the weight of the presidency and spends his evenings eating cheeseburgers in bed, watching television and talking on the phone to old friends.

Bannon is quoted as describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as "treasonous."

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2:05 p.m.

Representatives for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are pushing back against an explosive new book that, among other things, says Trump never expected to be elected and that his wife shed tears, but not of joy, on election night.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff, is filled with "false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House."

Sanders continues, "Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy."

Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman, says: "Mrs. Trump supported her husband's decision to run for president and, in fact, encouraged him to do so. She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did."

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1:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump is blasting his former chief strategist ahead of the release of a new, unflattering book.

Trump says in the statement Wednesday that when Bannon was fired, "he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."

A new book by writer Michael Wolff offers a series of explosive revelations, including that Trump never expected to win the 2016 presidential race.

An adaptation of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" published Wednesday in New York magazine says Trump believed his nomination would boost his brand and deliver "untold opportunities."

An excerpt published by The Guardian says Bannon described a Trump Tower meeting between the president's son and a group of Russians as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic."