Judge dismisses Trump's lawsuit against Bob Woodward over audiobook

The judge dismissed Trump‘s $50 million lawsuit against the journalist for publishing tapes from interviews for his 2020 best-seller “Rage” as an audiobook.

A federal judge on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump‘s nearly $50 million lawsuit against the journalist Bob Woodward for publishing tapes from interviews for his 2020 best-seller “Rage” as an audiobook.

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.

Woodward interviewed Trump 19 times between December 2019 and August 2020, and about 20% of “Rage” came from the interviews.

The book was released in September 2020, while the audiobook “The Trump Tapes,” including Woodward‘s commentary, was released in October 2022.

In a 59-page decision, Gardephe said Trump did not plausibly allege that he and Woodward intended to be joint authors of “The Trump Tapes,” saying Simon & Schuster credited Trump as a “reader” while crediting Woodward as the author.