Quote:'Art Of The Deal' Ghostwriter On Why Trump Should Not Be President
"One of the chief things I'm concerned about is the limits of his attention span, which are as severe as any person I think I've ever met," Schwartz says.
"No matter what question I asked, he would become impatient with it pretty quickly, and literally, from the very first time I sat down to start interviewing him, after about 10 or 15 minutes, he said, 'You know, I don't really wanna talk about this stuff, I'm not interested in it, I mean it's over, it's the past, I'm done with it, what else have you got?' "
Listen· 6:25
http://www.npr.org/2016/07/21/486924253/art-o...-president
July 21, 2016·6:10 PM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
In 1987, the book The Art of the Deal elevated Donald Trump from playboy developer to best-selling author.
From the opening paragraph of Trump's self-portrait as a shrewd and creative dealmaker:
"I don't do it for the money. I've got enough, much more than I'll ever need. I do it to do it. Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks."
Trump's name is on the cover of that book. But there's another one, too — beneath the portrait and the big golden letters spelling out TRUMP — the name of Tony Schwartz, the book's ghostwriter.
A Culmination Of Trump's Decades In The Limelight
Schwartz did not weigh in on the presidential campaign until this week in a lengthy interview with The New Yorker.
Schwartz tells All Things Considered's Robert Siegel that he is speaking out now because he is extremely concerned about what Trump would be like as a president.
He says the portrait that he painted of Trump in The Art of the Deal is not accurate.
"I helped to paint Trump as a vastly more appealing human being than he actually is. And I have no pride about that. ... I did it for the money. It's certainly weighed on me over the years," Schwartz says. "Now, since he's ... in a position to potentially become president, it makes my decision back then look very different than it did at the time."
Schwartz spent 18 months on the book, including eight or nine months sitting in Trump's office virtually every morning to get the information he needed.
"One of the chief things I'm concerned about is the limits of his attention span, which are as severe as any person I think I've ever met," Schwartz says. "No matter what question I asked, he would become impatient with it pretty quickly, and literally, from the very first time I sat down to start interviewing him, after about 10 or 15 minutes, he said, 'You know, I don't really wanna talk about this stuff, I'm not interested in it, I mean it's over, it's the past, I'm done with it, what else have you got?' "
The idea of a president in an "incredibly complex and threatening world who can't pay attention is itself frightening," Schwartz says.
Add to that the fact that Trump is so easily provoked, that what Schwartz calls Trump's insecurity "makes him incredibly reactive whenever he feels threatened, which is very, very often."
As an example, Schwartz says, his interview in The New Yorker came out on Monday. On Tuesday, he received "a long and threatening letter from his lawyer designed, I think, to muzzle me."
"For 25 years, I think Trump has done a very, very effective job of muzzling anyone who has worked for him or with him by signing very, very strict nondisclosure agreements before they start working with him," Schwartz says. "It just turns out that I started with him so early that he hadn't thought of it yet."
"The reason I'm stepping up is because no one else seems to be free or willing to do so," Schwartz says. "Believe me, it is not fun."
Use the audio link above to hear the full conversation.
See you that and raise you this: 'Art Of The Deal'
Top 10 Most Recent News Articles
Shell Seals ARC Acquisition, $16.5B Bet on Future
Shell’s Strategic Play: Snagging ARC When it comes to Shell, they don't dawdle with peanuts. Snagging ARC Resources Ltd., a Canadian energy firm rooted squarely in British Columbia and Alberta, speaks volumes about their appetite for growth. They’re shelling out approximately US$16.5 billion to pull this deal off the ground. This isn't just some casual sector play; it...
Continue Reading
HIMS Faces Class Action: Investors Eye Leadership
Another Day, Another Lawsuit: Hims & Hers in Hot Water Here's the latest conundrum in the corporate world, folks. Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE: HIMS) is caught up in a class action lawsuit that could shake up the telehealth scene. Investors who found themselves knee-deep in losses during the class period from August 2025 to July 2026 might want to pay attention. The...
Continue Reading
VT Markets Appoints Maxwell for Global Expansion
Maxwell Joins VT Markets Amid Strategic Shift Forget the usual humdrum of C-suite comings and goings; this one's packed with punch. VT Markets is setting the stage for a serious leap forward by naming Ross Maxwell their new Chief Strategy Officer. This isn't just another desk job—it's a pivotal role meant to integrate cutting-edge technology with the ever-evolving...
Continue Reading
RealityMine Appoints CPO Amidst Strong Growth Momentum
Pushing the Boundaries of Behavioral Data When a company like RealityMine posts a whopping 75% year-over-year revenue bump, you know they're not here to mess around. Enter Soumya Bijjal, a seasoned pro stepping in as their inaugural Chief Product Officer. This isn't just about adding to the C-suite boys' club; it's about locking in on a goldmine of behavioral data that's...
Continue Reading
Capricor Faces Lawsuit: Investors Should Take Note
Capricor Therapeutics: A Rough Road Ahead If you've got skin in the game with Capricor Therapeutics, these latest developments might have you feeling a bit queasy. Forget the greasy diner fare today; this situation calls for some serious contemplation and maybe a bit of antacid. Over at NASDAQ:CAPR, the air is hot with allegations, stock price nosedives, and looming legal...
Continue Reading
Joseph Spine Opens New Regenerative Therapy Center
Regenerative Medicine: A New Frontier in Spine Care When spine care gets a facelift, you take notice. Joseph Spine Institute, a heavyweight in the spine care game, just threw hat into the regenerative ring. We're talking about using a patient's own cells to mend what's broken—that's advanced. They're launching a Regenerative Therapy Center in Tampa, ready to offer these...
Continue Reading
Check Point Shareholders Back 2026 AGM Proposals
Shareholder Endorsement Solidifies Check Point's Strategy Today, Check Point Software Technologies had a bit of a celebratory mood. Their stakeholders, it seems, aren't just riding the wave; they're all in. You could almost hear the cheers from Redwood City when those shareholder voting results flashed across the board. Some 81.2 million shares—encompassing about 79.52%...
Continue Reading
TCOM Secures $600M Deal to Boost NATO's Defense
TCOM's Pivotal $600 Million Defense Contract How often do you hear about a deal north of $600 million that practically revamps a company's strategic future? That's precisely what's hitting the books at TCOM right now. They've scored a heavy-hitting Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to fortify NATO's eastern front with Poland. I'll tell you this—it’s one of the...
Continue Reading
ITP Media's Bold Move: Ready for Asian Market Surge
Pushing Boundaries: ITP Media Group Eyes Asia ITP Media Group isn't here to tiptoe around the media market; they're diving headfirst with the recent takeover of Heart Media Group. A bold move, some might say, in this volatile world of media mergers and acquisitions. But let's break down what this really means. A Strategic Bet on Luxury To start, ITP Media is beefing up...
Continue Reading
Ecobat's Strategic Shift: Exiting Lithium for Lead
You ever get that sense of déjà vu when another company decides to jump ship from a supposedly hot market? Well, that's where Ecobat's at, folks. This global player in battery recycling just waved goodbye to its lithium recycling biz, closing the deal on its Arizona operations. Previously, they ditched similar holdings in the UK and Germany. Now, they're all-in on their...
Continue ReadingTop 5 Most Recently Viewed Articles
Enviva's Restructuring Sets Stage for Future Growth
Enviva's Successful Emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Enviva, LLC, a prominent name in the production of industrial wood pellets, has recently announced a significant achievement: its successful emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is not just a recovery phase; it's a strategic transformation that positions the company for long-term growth and enhances its...
Continue Reading
Renovaro and Nebul Join Forces to Transform Cancer Diagnostics
Renovaro Partners with Nebul to Advance Cancer Detection Renovaro Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB), a pioneering company in AI-driven precision medicine, has announced a significant expansion of its collaboration with Nebul, a leader in AI cloud infrastructure. These efforts are focused on significantly enhancing the early detection capabilities for cancer along with other critical...
Continue Reading
Exciting Developments from the 2025 International Imaging Forum
Innovative Insights from the Imaging Industry Forum The 2025 International Image Culture Week recently concluded, featuring a significant event known as the SmallRig Visionary Storytellers Industry Forum. This remarkable gathering was a canvas for over 200 industry leaders to exchange transformative ideas about the future of imaging. Participants included renowned...
Continue Reading
Landstar System Strengthens Leadership with New Appointments
Landstar Welcomes New Board Members to Drive Growth Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ: LSTR), known for its technology-driven, asset-light approach to integrated freight transportation, has recently made significant strides in enhancing its leadership team. The company announced the appointments of two distinguished leaders, Barr Blanton and Melanie Housey Hart, to its Board...
Continue Reading
JLL Secures $577M Financing for LBA Logistics Fund VII
JLL secured a whopping $577.625 million back in 2024 to finance the LBA Logistics Value Fund VII Industrial Portfolio, and let me tell ya, traders were buzzing. This portfolio housed 25 prime industrial properties spread across various states, adding up to over 7 million square feet of space. That’s no small potatoes, folks. Now, this financing was a floating-rate loan...
Continue Reading