Trump sent publishers a cease and desist letter over bombshell book - here’s their response

President Trump attempted to curtail the publishing of "Fire and Fury," the bombshell book about his administration, but the publisher's response on Thursday was probably not to his liking.

Cease and Desist

CNN reported that the personal lawyer for the president sent the publishers a "cease and desist" letter Thursday demanding the book not be released.

Rather than stop the release of the book, the publishers decided to release it four days earlier than planned, on Friday.

"Due to unprecedented demand, we are moving the on-sale date for all formats of 'Fire and Fury,' by Michael Wolff, to Friday, January 5, at 9 a.m. ET, from the current on-sale date of Tuesday, January 9," said a spokesperson to CNN.

The author confirmed the rescheduling from his Twitter account, and referenced Trump's attempt to squelch the release.

What is in "Fire and Fury"?

Snippets from the book overtook social media as salacious and scandalous stories were shared, but often with the caveat that their legitimacy could be questioned. Among the more combative anecdotes were those including scathing quotes from former Trump aide Stephen Bannon, who said that Donald Trump Jr.'s actions could be considered treasonous.

One former Trump campaign official, Sam Nunberg, said that while some of the specific stories were less than accurate, the overall gist of the reporting was reliable.

Here's a CNN report on the failed effort to stop the book:

Despite President Trump's legal team sending cease-and-desist letters, publisher of new book announces it will be released on Friday -- four days earlier than expected https://t.co/DoviFL0Tg2 pic.twitter.com/xfXvSiVHu0

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) January 4, 2018