Trump: The Art of the Deal

Tony Schwartz (born 1952) is an American journalist, author, and business consultant best known for his role as the ghostwriter of The Art of the Deal. Schwartz grew up in a family with a strong intellectual and literary background, somewhat in contrast to the background Trump describes in the book. He attended The University of Michigan, where he developed an interest in writing and journalism. After college, he became a journalist, writing for major publications such as The New York Times, Newsweek, and Esquire. Schwartz established himself as a skilled profiler and storyteller, known for his deep dives into complex personalities and business figures. His work caught the attention of Donald Trump, who was looking for a writer to help craft his personal and business memoir. Elsewhere in the book, Trump describes how he sought out the best in any field. When building an ice rink, he sought out the best ice rink builders. When running a casino, he sought out the person with the most experience of doing so. Schwartz fits into this mold, as the person who Trump felt could best capture his voice.

In the mid-1980s, Schwartz was hired as the ghostwriter for The Art of the Deal, a book that would blend Trump’s business philosophy, personal anecdotes, and a guide to deal-making. While the book was officially attributed to Trump, Schwartz later revealed that he wrote nearly all of it, crafting a narrative that portrayed Trump as a bold and charismatic business mogul. To accurately capture Trump’s voice and business mindset, Schwartz shadowed him for over 18 months, observing his daily interactions and negotiations. However, Schwartz later admitted that he struggled to reconcile Trump’s short attention span and lack of deep business insight with the compelling narrative he was trying to construct. The book was a massive success, spending 48 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and significantly enhancing Trump’s public persona as a master dealmaker. However, in later years, Schwartz expressed regret for helping to create Trump’s larger-than-life image. After The Art of the Deal, Schwartz distanced himself from Trump and built a career as a business consultant, executive coach, and author.

Edward Irving Koch (1924-2013) was an American politician, lawyer, and political commentator best known for serving as the 105th mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. His tenure was marked by a combination of fiscal reform, infrastructure improvements, and a distinctively outspoken and charismatic leadership style. In The Art of the Deal, he emerges as the antagonist to Donald Trump and one of the key reasons why Trump must work extra hard to succeed in his projects. Portrayed from the perspective of Donald Trump, Koch is portrayed as an incompetent administrator who is too invested in his personal rivalry with Donald Trump to allow the city to prosper. Koch would rather allow New York City to fall into ruin, Trump suggests, than to allow Trump to take over certain projects that would benefit the city.

Koch was elected mayor in 1977, defeating incumbent Abe Beame and future governor Mario Cuomo in a race shaped by New York City’s fiscal crisis and rising crime rates. He ran as a pragmatic reformer, pledging to restore fiscal stability and improve city services. During his three terms in office, Koch successfully rescued New York City from near-bankruptcy by implementing budget cuts, securing federal aid, and promoting business investment. His administration also focused on revitalizing public transportation, repairing infrastructure, and rebuilding housing, particularly through affordable housing initiatives in the South Bronx and Harlem. These projects stood in marked opposition to the luxury housing that Trump built throughout the city. In this sense, Trump’s rivalry with Koch is as much ideological as it is personal. The men both want to build their city into something different, though their visions for the future are not necessarily compatible. As such, Trump delights in assuring his readers that he will continue to work in New York City long after Koch has left his role as Mayor. In this sense, at least, Trump was proved right.