Michael Wolff abruptly ended a tough interview on Australian television over the weekend, removing his earpiece and walking out of the studio.
On set with Australia’s “Today” show over the weekend, the “Fire and Fury” author said his earpiece wasn’t working and that he would be unable to answer any further questions. The device had worked perfectly up until Wolff was asked whether he wanted to apologize to President Donald Trump for insinuating that he was currently having an extramarital affair.
“Do you owe the President and the First Lady an apology,” asked host Ben Fordham.
“I can’t hear you,” said Wolff. “I’m not getting anything.”
“We were hearing each other well just before,” Fordham said while voicing skepticism.
A technician came to assist Wolff with the earpiece, but the author walked off set before it could be attended to.
“Mr. Wolff was hearing me before, but he’s not hearing me anymore so it looks like the interview may be 0ver,” said Fordham.
The show’s anchors openly doubted the veracity of Wolff’s earpiece claim, and the program’s official Twitter account discounted the author as well.
“We’ve got an update for you on our interview with @MichaelWolffNYC,” the show said. “Footage from our London studio would suggest that there were no audio problems and Wolff had no problem hearing @BenFordham’s question!”
We've got an update for you on our interview with @MichaelWolffNYC. Footage from our London studio would suggest that there were no audio problems and Wolff had no problem hearing @BenFordham's question! #9Today pic.twitter.com/dj4AOJht47
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) February 25, 2018
Despite a number of factual errors, Wolff’s “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” received a widespread coverage. That changed after he suggested during an interview with Bill Maher that Trump was secretly having an affair with a woman named in the book — later widely assumed to be United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.
Since the Maher interview, Wolff has made a number of appearances overseas. In addition to his Australian appearance, Wolff was grilled during an appearance in the Netherlands, where he was forced to downplay his earlier Trump affair claims.
“I do not know if the president is having an affair,” he said during an interview Thursday with Dutch journalist Twan Huys.
Watch above