Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon said there was "zero" chance that 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 was not aware of a controversial 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between one of his sons and a Russian lawyer, according to a new book.

According to MSNBC, which tweeted an excerpt from Michael Wolff's upcoming book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," Bannon said that it was likely 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 took lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and others up to his father's office during the meeting.

“The chance that Don. Jr did not walk these Jumos up to his father’s office on the 26th floor is zero," the excerpt reads.

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Bannon, who joined Trump's campaign as chairman a couple months after the June 2016 meeting, was fired from the White House in August 2017. He's since retaken his post at the head of Breitbart News.

The suggestion that Trump was aware of the meeting that his son and other campaign officials fielded with Veselnitskaya, who reportedly has ties to the Russian government, contradicts statements from White House officials, who have claimed that the president was not told about the meeting.

Trump Jr. agreed to attend the meeting after an intermediary told him that Veselnitskaya had promised damaging information on then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE. He has said that, instead, the lawyer discussed American adoptions of Russian children.

Former campaign chairman Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortBannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention Ukraine language in GOP platform underscores Trump tensions MORE and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE also attended the June 2016 meeting.

Possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government are the subject of a criminal investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE, who is also looking into wider Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

So far, Manafort and one of his associates, Richard Gates, have been indicted as a result of that investigation. They are facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion, among other allegations.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn and George PapadopoulosGeorge Demetrios PapadopoulosTale of two FBI cases: Clinton got warned, Trump got investigated Trump says he would consider pardons for those implicated in Mueller investigation New FBI document confirms the Trump campaign was investigated without justification MORE, a former foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign, have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about their contacts with Russian representatives.