Back in 1987, when he was still just a playboy tycoon, Donald Trump (R-N.Y.) hired a ghostwriter to help him write a book about about his business skills. The man he hired was named Tony Schwartz and the book was The Art of the Deal.
The book made a bundle of money for both men, which is exactly the way the ghostwriter gig is supposed to work. After the book came out, Schwartz was a rich and satisfied writer and Trump was a richer and even more satisfied tycoon.
Now that Trump is on the verge of becoming President of the United States, Schwartz has decided that he needs to tell the truth about the man.
Schwartz has gone public describing his concerns about the idea of Donald Trump as President. He described the writing of the book as putting “lipstick on a pig.”
Tony Schwartz is on MSNBC talking about Trump's character, intelligence & attention span being that of a nine-yr-old. He's very concerned.
— AverieMaddox (@RABBITISH1) July 21, 2016
When he stepped forward to talk about his reservations, Schwartz was worried that Trump might follow his usual pattern and file a lawsuit.
The New Yorker reports that the ghostwriter was right to worry. One day after an interview in which he described Trump as “impulsive and self-centered,” Schwartz received a “cease and desist” letter from Trump’s attorney.
Schwartz was told that he needed to retract his “defamatory statements” about Trump and to never do it again.
He was also ordered to send Trump a check for all of the royalties he’s earned from the book. No surprise that Trump and his team use money as part of any threat. No surprise that Trump reacts so strongly to any form of criticism.
Schwartz is not backing down. He said:
“The fact that Trump would take time out of convention week to worry about a critic is evidence to me not only of how thin-skinned he is, but also of how misplaced his priorities are. It is axiomatic that when Trump feels attacked, he will strike back. That’s precisely what’s so frightening about his becoming president.”
Schwartz is very clear and very determined. He knows Donald Trump. He understands the man’s many weaknesses and he does not want the guy to be the one with his finger on the nuclear trigger. He said:
“I fully expected him to attack me, because that is what he does, so I can’t say I am surprised. But I’m much more worried about his becoming president than I am about anything he might try to do to me.”
I hope that everyone in the U.S. reads these words or hears this man speak. This is a very serious warning from someone on the inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq-OUClcLF0
Featured image via YouTube Screengrab.
