Trump is also a man who pulls out lawyers and lawsuits faster than a western gunslinger draws his Colt pistol. He famously sued one author who wrote that Trump’s estimate of his net worth was lower than Trump claimed. Trump has dueled with Forbes magazine over its annual listing of “the richest” people in the world, claiming he should be higher on the list, but didn’t offer any proof to Forbes. He has sued comedian Bill Maher for a joke offering a $5 million donation to charities for proof, as Maher joked, that Trump’s father was not an “orange-haired orangutan.” Even though the lawsuit was tossed out of court, the famous feud continues, with Maher making jokes about Trump every chance he gets.
Trump also pressed D’Antonio to write a “good book” about him because people wanted to read an inspirational story. D’Antonio’s access to Trump was severed, however, after Trump learned the author spoke to a person on Trump’s enemies list.
Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success, by Michael D’Antonio, Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin’s Press, Sept. 22, 2015, 389 pages.
William L. Haacker is an award-winning journalist and editor who worked for various New Jersey newspapers including the Asbury Park Press and other Gannett New Jersey newspapers.