WASHINGTON Dozens upon dozens of political obsessives lined up inside a bookstore in the nations capital just before midnight on Friday to be among the first to own a copy of an explosive new book about the Trump administration that President Donald Trump didnt want them to read.

Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House was released ahead of schedule, following a Trump attorneys cease-and-desist letter attempting to block dissemination. But the D.C. bookstore Kramerbooks & Afterwords which, to borrow an overused phrase, is located just blocks from the White House is open until 1 a.m. That meant it could begin selling copies of the book when the clock struck midnight.

It might not be available in a couple of hours, joked Liz, who works for the National Park Service and didnt want to give her last name. Liz, decked out in full winter gear to combat the frigid temperature outside, learned she could grab a copy of the book at midnight the way most people here did: Twitter. She tried to convince her husband to join her. He wasnt into the idea. But Liz thought it would be fun, she said. A nice protest.