TrumpNation

TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald

Book cover (2005 edition)
Author	Timothy L. O'Brien
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Donald Trump
Genre	non-fiction
Publisher	Warner Books
Publication date	October 26, 2005
Pages	288
ISBN	Hardcover
OCLC	936685002

TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald is a 2005 biographical book about Donald Trump that was written by Timothy L. O'Brien and published by Warner Books. After the book was published, Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against O'Brien, who had written that Trump was not a billionaire and that his net worth actually ranged between $150 million and $250 million. Trump sought $2.5 billion in compensatory damages and an additional $2.5 billion in punitive damages. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2009, and an appeals court affirmed the decision in 2011.

At the time of the book's publication, Timothy L. O'Brien was a reporter for The New York Times, and had reported on Donald Trump's businesses since 1990. O'Brien interviewed Trump for the book, and said that Trump enjoyed his presence, despite O'Brien's claim that Trump once referred to him as a "total whack job." Trump said that he cooperated with O'Brien because, "It's almost like a competitive thing with me. I almost want to see if you can get Trump." O'Brien also interviewed contestants from Trump's reality television series, The Apprentice, as well as Trump's second wife, Marla Maples, casino owner Steve Wynn, and former New York City mayor Ed Koch.

Trump allowed O'Brien to visit his offices to research his financial records. According to O'Brien, the financial documents were of no help for determining Trump's net worth. O'Brien spoke with three people who worked with Trump for years and who believed his net worth to be between $150 million and $250 million. O'Brien said he was told by Trump, "You can go ahead and speak to guys who have 400-pound wives at home who are jealous of me, but the guys who really know me know I'm a great builder."

TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald is divided into chapters, each one presented out of chronological order and devoted to a part of Trump's personal and professional life. Personal chapters include "TrumpRoots" and "TrumpStyle," while professional chapters include "TrumpLand" and "TrumpBroke." Each chapter ends with sarcastic "TrumpQuizzes" that educate the reader on how to become a billionaire. Included in the book are disputes that Trump—early in his business career—had with New York City mayor Ed Koch. Trump's business dealings with associates of the American Mafia, as well as a bailout by his siblings that prevented him from going bankrupt, are also included in the book.