Story highlights Wolff's book quotes Bannon as saying the 2016 meeting was "treasonous"

In the statement, Bannon called Trump Jr. a "patriot and a good man"

Washington (CNN) The author of a book that has driven a wedge between President Donald Trump and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said Monday that Bannon's recent statement backing away from his criticism of the President's eldest son is "not true."

"Steve didn't say anything that I got wrong. He merely said that it wasn't Don Jr. he was talking about; it was Paul Manafort," Michael Wolff said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

CNN obtained a statement on Sunday from a source close to Bannon in which the former top Trump adviser praised Donald Trump Jr. and said his comments about an infamous meeting in Trump Tower were aimed at then-campaign chief Paul Manafort, not Trump Jr.

Wolff's book quotes Bannon as saying the 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials, including Trump Jr. and Manafort, and a Russian lawyer purportedly offering damaging information about Hillary Clinton, was "treasonous."

Bannon said in Sunday's statement that his criticism of the meeting was directed at Manafort, "a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate. He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends."

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