Trump defamation lawsuit in opposition to the New York Instances: What to know

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Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump is suing the New York Instances for defamation, demanding $15 billion in damages as a part of his newest assault on the free press.

What does the lawsuit say? Trump alleges that three New York Instances articles printed in 2024 had been written to undermine his marketing campaign within the closing stretch of the election, and the swimsuit names 4 Instances journalists and the writer of a e-book by two of the reporters, as co-defendants.

The swimsuit additionally contains aggrandizing descriptions of Trump’s profession, together with his “magnificent actual property achievements” and his “ sui generis charisma and distinctive enterprise acumen.”

In an announcement, the Instances stated that Trump’s swimsuit “lacks any authentic authorized claims and as an alternative is an try to stifle and discourage impartial reporting.”

What’s the objective of the lawsuit? In concept, the swimsuit is meant to recoup damages for what it describes as “false, malicious, defamatory, and disparaging” reporting. In actuality, the grievance — and the eye-popping request for damages — is finest seen as half of a bigger sample of habits by Trump that's meant to suppress authentic, essential reporting on Trump’s life, marketing campaign, and administration by US information organizations.

Is Trump going to succeed? Nearly definitely not. Defamation fits in opposition to a public determine have to satisfy a particularly excessive bar, referred to as precise malice, to succeed, and fact is an absolute protection.

What’s the large image? Trump’s assaults on the media are meant to coerce extra favorable protection of his administration. He has beforehand sued each ABC and CBS for his or her protection, extracting settlements value tens of millions of {dollars}, and he has a pending $10 billion lawsuit in opposition to the Wall Road Journal and its proprietor, Rupert Murdoch.

On Tuesday, he instructed ABC reporter Jonathan Karl that the Justice Division may “go after folks such as you since you deal with me so unfairly.”

And with that, it’s time to log out…

Robert Redford, the legendary actor and director, died right this moment at 89. The Washington Publish has a terrific record of a few of his finest works here (and how much journalists would we be if we didn’t point out his position as journalism legend Bob Woodward in All of the President’s Males ), however I need to level to this clip, from A River Runs Through It , too. The movie, directed by Redford, is a fantastic adaptation of what Roger Ebert described as “one of many few good books of the twentieth century,” and it’s one which Redford fought hard to get made . In the event you’re searching for one thing to look at in his reminiscence, I extremely suggest it. Have a terrific night!