Donald Trump Sues Bob Woodward For Publishing Audio Interviews
Former president Donald Trump is suing journalist Bob Woodward for releasing recordings of their interviews, claiming he never agreed the tapes would be turned into an audiobook.
Trump did 19 interviews with Woodward between December 2019 and August 2020, and also in 2016 when he was just a candidate.
Woodward turned the interviews into a book called “Rage,” and compiled the audio interviews into another book called “The Trump Tapes” that was released in October.
Trump filed a $49 million lawsuit against Woodward and his publishing company Simon & Schuster on Monday, saying that while he agreed to be taped, he never approved their public release, according to Bloomberg News.
NEW: Donald Trump has filed a $49 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward and Woodward's publisher for selling recordings of his interviews as an audiobook, claiming he agreed to be taped but not for public release. With @MarioDParker: https://t.co/pGcVttR69lpic.twitter.com/uVlVywbQdh
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) January 30, 2023
The suit also accuses Woodward of misrepresenting one of their exchanges in the audiobook through selective editing.
Bloomberg notes that Woodward has addressed Trump’s accusation on CNN, saying the interviews “were done voluntarily” and “it was all on the record.”
Woodward has never released tapes of his interviews, but said he felt it was necessary in Trump’s case, according to Raw Story.
“Sound has an extraordinary emotional power, an immediacy and authenticity,” he said. “A listener is brought into the room. It is a completely different experience from reading Trump’s words or listening to snatches of his interviews on television or the internet. Trump’s voice magnifies his presence.”
Neither Woodward nor his publishing company have commented on the lawsuit.
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