Simon & Schuster is continuing full steam ahead to publish—two weeks ahead of schedule—Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump, the president’s niece.
In June, the US president’s brother, Robert S. Trump, filed suit to stop publication of the book based on a confidentiality clause signed by Mary Trump in 2001 as part of the estate settlement of Fred Trump Sr. (her grandfather). But Simon & Schuster lawyers say the publisher is not a party to and is not bound by any confidentiality agreement with the Trump family. In any event, the temporary restraining order that initially blocked Simon & Schuster from publishing was lifted on July 1.
In his affidavit to the court, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said, “In my over 30 years working in book publishing, I am not aware of a book that was ever enjoined and censured from the public for any reason, including those most recently articulated by the federal government in connection with John Bolton’s book. … Any order granting an injunction would impose substantial and irreparable damage to Simon & Schuster’s ability to publish a work addressing issues of national importance to this country and the public’s right to read the work. This harm is heightened by the fact that news of the anticipated publication is widespread, which, in turn, is further proof that the public is interested in the newsworthy information in the Book.”
The question of whether the 2001 confidentiality agreement still applies to Mary Trump is an open one. The judge who vacated the temporary restraining order wrote, “The passage of time and changes in circumstances may have rendered at least some of the restrained information less significant than it was at the time and, conversely, whatever legitimate public interest there may have been in the family disputes of a real estate developer and his relatives may be considerably heightened by that real estate developer now being President of the United States and a current candidate for re-election.” Another hearing has been scheduled for July 10. Publishers Weekly has more detail.
The book has already been printed and shipped to booksellers.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
