A Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against Bob Woodward
In a striking turn of events, a federal judge dismissed President Trump’s lawsuit against the acclaimed author Bob Woodward concerning his audiobook release. This legal battle, initiated in 2023, saw Trump seeking a staggering $49 million in damages for the publication of recordings from interviews conducted in 2019 and 2020.
Interestingly, the meeting that sparked this controversy was reportedly facilitated by none other than Senator Lindsey Graham, often branded as a “toxic RINO” by certain factions within the Republican Party.
Woodward, known for his investigative prowess and as a Washington Post editor, unveiled “The Trump Tapes,” an audiobook featuring over eight hours of unfiltered interviews with Trump. Critics of Woodward have labeled him a “Deep State hack,” alleging ties to the FBI dating back to the 1970s.
At the heart of Trump’s grievance is his assertion that he never consented to the public release of these tapes. However, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, appointed by George W. Bush, dismissed the lawsuit, stating that Trump failed to establish any intention of co-authoring “The Trump Tapes.” Instead, the record labels credited Trump merely as a “reader” while attributing authorship solely to Woodward.
As noted in a 59-page ruling by Gardephe, Trump did not demonstrate any copyright interest in his isolated answers to Woodward’s inquiries. The judge further indicated that federal copyright law supersedes Trump’s claims based on state law. Trump has been granted until August 18 to amend his complaint for a third time.
Following the dismissal, a spokesperson for Trump voiced discontent, claiming, “In another biased action by a New York Court, this wrongful decision was issued without even affording President Trump the basic due process of a hearing. We will continue to ensure that those who commit wrongdoing against President Trump and all Americans are held accountable.”
It’s worth recalling that CNN previously expressed outrage over allegations that Trump had shared “classified information” with Woodward, although Woodward was never able to substantiate these claims. Trump had proudly declared during his interviews, “I have built a weapons system that nobody has ever had in this country before.” He elaborated, “We have stuff that you haven’t even seen or heard about.”
In a particularly colorful moment, Trump remarked, “We have stuff that Putin and Xi have never heard about before. Getting along with Russia is a good thing; it’s not a bad thing, alright? Especially because they have 1,332 nuclear warheads.” He continued, “It’s funny, the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them. You know? Explain that to me someday, okay? But maybe it’s not a bad thing.”
While CNN had a meltdown over these declarations, they later conceded that Woodward was unable to verify any such classified information, with CNN’s Jamie Gangel stating, “So just to clarify, Woodward was never able to verify whether this system exists.”
