General Discussion

muriel_volestrangler

(104,198 posts)

2. Tried to sue for publishing full interviews. You know, like they got millions from CBS for *not* doing

Fri Jul 18, 2025, 05:20 PM

Jul 18

NEW YORK, July 18 (Reuters) - Donald Trump cannot pursue his nearly $50 million lawsuit against the journalist Bob Woodward for publishing tapes from interviews for his 2020 best-seller "Rage" as an audiobook, a federal judge ruled on Friday.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan is a victory for Woodward, his publisher Simon & Schuster and its former owner Paramount Global (PARA.O)

They had argued that federal law barred the U.S. president from copyrighting interviews conducted as part of his official duties, and that no president before him ever demanded royalties for publishing presidential interviews.
...
Trump sued in January 2023, saying he told Woodward repeatedly that the interviews were meant solely for the book. Woodward said he never agreed to that restriction.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/donald-trumps-lawsuit-against-bob-woodward-over-audiobook-is-dismissed-2025-07-18/

So Trump wanted his interviews published only in one form - written, and so probably edited. But Trump wanted the audio form, giving a better idea of how he spoke during the interview, covered up. While he extorted $16 million from CBS for *not* using the entire recording of an interview with Harris.