US President Donald Trump (Leon Neal, Pool via AP)
A federal judge on Friday threw out US President Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, ruling that the complaint was not “legally sufficient.” US district judge Steven Merryday of Florida said the filing “failed to provide a proper basis” for the court to consider.“As every lawyer knows, or is presumed to know, a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective − not a protected platform to rage against an adversary. A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally,” Merryday wrote, according to USA Today.The judge gave Trump 28 days to refile. The Republican had accused NYT of publishing “malicious accusations” against him through a series of articles and an editorial declaring him “unfit” for office ahead of the 2024 election. The suit also cited “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success” – a 2024 book by Penguin written by NYT reporters Susanne Craig and Ross Buettner. Reporters Craig, Buettner, Peter Baker, and Michael Schmidt were named as defendants alongside the newspaper and publisher. An earlier statement by NYT dismissed the case as “baseless”: “It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting. The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favour and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.”The lawsuit was filed on September 15.
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