WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was in a roomful of lawyers, venting about unfair treatment in the media that he said had understated his net worth and damaged his brand.

It was December 2007, a decade before Trump would become president and routinely excoriate reporters for "fake news." This time, the businessman was facing a daylong deposition in his lawsuit against a journalist he'd accused of downplaying his wealth.

Had he, one lawyer wanted to know, ever lied about his real estate properties? I try not to, Trump said. Ever exaggerated? Who wouldn't, he replied.

"You always want to put the...