A federal judge has tossed President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward and publishing giants Simon & Schuster and Paramount Global, as Deadline reports. The case, a bold swing at claiming copyright over audio interviews, crumbled under scrutiny. Trump’s legal team is now scrambling to salvage its argument by Aug. 18.
Trump filed a lawsuit asserting ownership over audio recordings from interviews he granted Woodward, later used in the 2022 audiobook The Trump Tapes. Details of the recordings first appeared in Woodward’s 2020 book Rage, intended as a scathing exposé of Trump’s presidency. The president’s claim hinges on his spoken responses, not the questions posed by Woodward.
Judge Paul Gardephe ruled that Trump’s claim to joint authorship or copyright in The Trump Tapes lacks plausibility. “The author is the party who actually creates the work,” Gardephe declared, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent. His ruling slices through Trump’s argument like a hot knife through progressive talking points.
Trump’s legal team insists that his recorded words grant him a copyright stake. Yet Gardephe found it “unlikely” Trump could plead a plausible copyright interest. The judge’s skepticism exposes what he says is the flimsy foundation of Trump’s case, which he believes seems more about headlines than legal merit.
Woodward and Simon & Schuster secured a copyright registration for The Trump Tapes on Feb. 23, 2023. Trump, not to be outdone, obtained his registration five days later, claiming joint authorship. This clash of registrations is a legal cage match, but courts, not the Copyright Office, settle such disputes.
“Where there are conflicting copyright registrations, courts make an independent determination of ownership,” Gardephe noted. His words underscore the judiciary’s role in untangling this mess. Trump’s attempt to muscle into authorship smells to critics like a desperate bid to control the narrative.
Paramount Global, a defendant in the lawsuit, sold Simon & Schuster to KKR in 2023 but remains entangled in the case. The media titan also faced a separate Trump lawsuit over a CBS News 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. That dispute, settled for $16 million, highlights Trump’s knack for keeping lawyers busy.
Paramount’s attorneys once called the 60 Minutes lawsuit baseless, a claim that didn’t age well given the hefty settlement. Now, they’re navigating this copyright clash while seeking Trump administration approval for a merger with Skydance. The timing raises eyebrows, but that’s politics as usual.
Trump’s lawsuit against Woodward and company hinges on interviews conducted years ago. The audio, repurposed for The Trump Tapes, became a flashpoint when Trump cried foul over its use.
Gardephe’s ruling gives Trump until Aug. 18 to amend his complaint. This deadline looms like a guillotine over his legal team’s efforts to reframe the case. Without a stronger argument, Trump risks another courtroom embarrassment.
The judge’s dismissal isn’t just a legal setback; it’s a reminder of the left’s obsession with controlling Trump’s voice. Woodward’s Rage and The Trump Tapes thrive on portraying Trump as unhinged, yet the former president’s responses were willingly given.
Trump’s copyright registration was a bold move to assert control. But Gardephe’s ruling suggests it’s more symbolic than substantive. The court’s refusal to buy Trump’s joint authorship claim exposes the legal overreach.
Woodward, a darling of the establishment media, used Trump’s words to fuel his anti-Trump narrative. Now, Trump is fighting back, arguing he deserves a cut of the profits from his voice. The judge’s dismissal, however, suggests the law isn’t swayed by MAGA bravado.
Paramount Global’s role in this saga adds another layer of intrigue. Their $16 million settlement in the 60 Minutes case shows they’re willing to pay to avoid prolonged legal battles. Yet their involvement in this copyright dispute feels like a sideshow to their broader corporate maneuvers.
Trump’s lawsuit, while dismissed, isn’t dead yet. The Aug. 18 deadline offers a slim chance to salvage his claim, but the odds are stacked against him. In a world where the left weaponizes words, Trump’s fight to own his own is a battle worth watching.
