Ousted White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon planned to dismiss the explosive new book on the Trump administration as a "lefty hatchet job" before President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE lashed out at him, according to a new report.

CNN obtained Bannon's original statement on the book, in which Bannon planned to praise Donald Trump Jr. Don John Trump'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic requests pardon from Trump: 'Be my hero please' Zaid Jilani discusses Trump's move to cancel racial sensitivity training at federal agencies Trump International Hotel in Vancouver closes permanently MORE as a "great American and a patriot"

"Don Jr., like his father, is a great American and a patriot. And we all know Don Jr. did not knowingly meet with Russian agents," Bannon's statement reads.

In the book, Bannon is quoted as saying Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer was "treasonous" and "unpatriotic."

Excerpts of Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" were released ahead of publication on Wednesday, sending the White House and Washington media into a frenzy.

The book sparked a feud between Bannon and Trump after the president responded to the excerpts by saying Bannon has "lost his mind."

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Aside from praising Trump Jr., Bannon also took aim at Wolff in the original statement.

"Michael Wolff took my remarks about Don Jr. out of context to sell his book. Sadly, this is yet another lefty hatchet job intended to disrespect our President and his supporters."

"As I said during my interview with '60 Minutes' and many times since, there is no basis to the Russian investigation. It's a political witch hunt orchestrated by the left," the statement reads.

The Hill reported earlier this week that Bannon drafted the statement but was conflicted about releasing it, until he was pre-empted by a statement from Trump.

“He was literally just about to respond but backed off when the White House issued the statement,” a source close to Bannon told The Hill, referring to Trump's statement that Bannon "lost his mind."

The book release on Friday saw massive sales, as "Fire and Fury" continues to make headlines for its coverage of the early days of Trump's presidency.