While the judge offered Trump the option to amend and refile his complaint by August 18, he said it would be “unlikely” the former president could ever prove a plausible copyright claim.
The Trump Tapes, released in 2022, included candid audio of Trump discussing the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea, and his impeachment — along with 27 letters exchanged between Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Woodward, who first gained fame in the 1970s for helping uncover Watergate with Carl Bernstein, has been a longtime thorn in the side of U.S. presidents. His 2020 book Rage used about 20% of the interview material in question.
Trump’s legal team blasted the ruling, calling it “another biased action by a New York Court” and promising to keep fighting:
“We will continue to ensure that those who commit wrongdoing against President Trump and all Americans are held accountable.”
Woodward’s reporting has documented Trump’s most controversial moments — from downplaying COVID-19’s threat to praising dictators — and this latest court victory only cements his right to share what Trump said, in Trump’s own voice.