Federal Judge Dismisses Trump's $50M Lawsuit Against Bob Woodward

A federal judge dismissed President Trump's nearly $50 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward and his publisher over the publication of audio recordings from interviews conducted for Woodward's 2020 book "Rage". U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe ruled that Trump does not hold a copyright interest in his responses during the interviews, as federal law bars government officials from claiming copyright in interviews conducted as part of their official duties. The judge also dismissed Trump's state law claims as preempted by federal copyright law but left open the possibility for Trump to file an amended lawsuit or appeal. Trump's legal team criticized the ruling, calling it biased and lacking due process. Woodward, Simon & Schuster, and Paramount Global argued that Woodward was the sole author of the interviews and that the recordings reflected classic news reporting protected as fair use. The lawsuit stemmed from Trump's claim that the interviews were only authorized for use in the book and not for audiobook publication, which Woodward disputed.