Fact check: Who is Tony Schwartz and what was his role in writing The Art of the Deal?

1. Summary of the results

Tony Schwartz is the ghostwriter who wrote Donald Trump's bestselling book "The Art of the Deal." Based on the analyses, Schwartz served as the primary author of the book, with Trump providing minimal input due to his lack of attention span ^[1].

Schwartz has become one of Trump's most vocal critics, expressing deep remorse for his role in creating the book. He describes writing "The Art of the Deal" as the greatest regret of his life and wishes the book "weren't even in print" ^[2]. Schwartz believes the book significantly contributed to Trump's rise to fame and helped fuel his presidential campaign ^[1].

Schwartz's characterization of Trump is consistently damning across all sources:

• Describes Trump as having "no attention span" and being "pathologically impulsive and self-centered" ^[1]
• Claims Trump is "not capable of remorse" and is "the least reflective human being" he has ever met ^{[3] [4]}
• Characterizes Trump as having "an emptiness inside" and "an absence of a soul" ^[2]
• Describes Trump as "so deeply sociopathic" that he lacks empathy ^[2]
• Claims Trump is willing to lie without guilt or preoccupation ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses present only Schwartz's perspective and do not include Trump's response to these characterizations or any defense of his role in the book's creation. There is no mention of:

• Trump's own account of the writing process or his contribution to the book
• Financial arrangements between Schwartz and Trump for the ghostwriting work
• Legal disputes that may have arisen over authorship credit or royalties
• Other collaborators or publishers involved in the book's creation
• Sales figures or the book's actual impact on Trump's career trajectory

The sources also lack alternative viewpoints from:

• Trump supporters who might dispute Schwartz's characterizations
• Other individuals who worked closely with Trump during the book's creation
• Literary or business experts who might provide context on ghostwriting arrangements

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and factual, simply asking for identification of Tony Schwartz and his role in writing "The Art of the Deal." However, the question's framing as "what was his role in writing" rather than "ghostwriting" could potentially understate Schwartz's actual contribution to the book's creation.

The analyses reveal significant bias concerns in the available sources, as they exclusively present Schwartz's highly critical perspective without balancing viewpoints. Schwartz clearly has strong political motivations for his public statements, as evidenced by his description of a potential Trump presidency as "terrifying" ^[4] and his belief that Trump has "lost a great deal mentally" ^[5].

Media outlets covering Schwartz's statements may benefit from the sensational nature of a ghostwriter turning against his former collaborator, potentially driving clicks and engagement through controversial headlines about Trump's character and mental state.