Wolff secured his unprecedented access through a combination of existing relationships with Trump associates and by positioning himself as a sympathetic observer, allowing him to witness countless meetings and conversations while essentially becoming a "fly on the wall" in the West Wing.

The book's publication created a major political firestorm, leading to a public falling out between Trump and Steve Bannon, intensifying media scrutiny of the administration, and raising new questions about the president's fitness for office.

While some details have been disputed by various parties, Wolff maintains that he conducted over 200 interviews and backed his reporting with recordings and documentation. The overall narrative aligns with many contemporaneous news reports and subsequent accounts from other sources.