Steve Bannon emerged Sunday after five days of silence and apologized for his delay in responding to a controversial book in which he criticized, among others, Donald Trump, Jr.
The mea culpa comes after President Trump’s former chief strategist was widely lambasted by members of the Trump administration for his participation in the newly released book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” which was written by Michael Wolff. In it, Bannon was quoted as saying that the president’s son participated in a “treasonous” meeting with a Russian lawyer who promised dirt on Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“Donald Trump, Jr. is both a patriot and a good man,” Bannon said in a statement. “He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around.
“I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency,” he added.
Excerpts from the book caused a political firestorm last week. Bannon zeroed in on the president’s son for the now-infamous meeting with the Russians.
“They’re going to crack Don Junior like a egg on national TV,” he said, referring to the special counsel’s investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
