[Karah Rucker]
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CELEBRATING A COURT’S DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DEFAMATION CASE HE HAS AGAINST THE PULITZER PRIZE BOARD.
THE CASE CENTERS AROUND THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST’S AWARD-WINNING COVERAGE OF WHAT WAS DUBBED “RUSSIAGATE” DURING TRUMP’S FIRST TERM –ABOUT TRUMP’S 2016 CAMPAIGN AND ALLEGATIONS OF RUSSIA COLLUSION – WHICH THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AND LATER DUBBED THE “RUSSIA HOAX” BY CONSERVATIVES.
TRUMP SAYS THE OUTLETS’ REPORTING WAS FALSE AND DEFAMATORY –
AND WANTS ITS PULITZER PRIZES **REVOKED BY THE PRIZE BOARD.
THE BOARD ASKED THE FLORIDA APPELLATE COURT TO **PAUSE THE DEFAMATION LAWSUIT WHILE TRUMP IS PRESIDENT – CLAIMING IT RAISED “CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS” –
BUT THE COURT RULED THE CASE **CAN CONTINUE.
TRUMP CELEBRATED THE COURT’S RULING – CALLING IT A “MAJOR WIN” –
AND SAYING “They’ll have to give back their “Award.” They were awarded for false reporting, and we can’t let that happen in the United States of America.”
TRUMP SUED THE PULITZER PRIZE BOARD BACK IN 2022 –
SAYING THE BOARD DEFAMED HIM WHEN IT DEFENDED ITS 2018 PULITZER AWARDS TO THE TIMES AND THE POST.
THE OUTLETS WROTE ABOUT ALLEGED RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016 ELECTION – AND ALLEGED TIES TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
HERE’S SOME OF THE HEADLINES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE OUTLETS’ PULITZERS –
“THE FAKE AMERICANS RUSSIA CREATED TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION.”
AND – “Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador.”
THE COVERAGE LED TO FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS – WHICH ULTIMATELY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION.
THE PULITZER BOARD SAID OF ITS AWARDS – THAT THE NEWS OUTLETS HAD “DEEPLY SOURCED” INFORMATION AND IT WAS “RELENTLESSLY REPORTED” “IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST” IN A WAY THAT DESERVED RECOGNITION.
IN A PRESS RELEASE JUST MONTHS PRIOR TO TRUMP’S LAWSUIT –
THE BOARD WROTE IT CONDUCTED A REVIEW THAT FOUND “NO PASSAGES OR HEADLINES” “WERE DISCREDITED BY FACTS THAT EMERGED SUBSEQUENT TO THE PRIZES. THE PULITZER PRIZES IN NATIONAL REPORTING STAND.”
THE BOARD ARGUED TO THE COURT THE CASE SHOULD BE PUT ON PAUSE BECAUSE OF A CONSTITUTIONAL CONFLICT SINCE TRUMP HAS BEEN RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT – CITING CONCERNS UNDER THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE.
BUT IN A 7 PAGE RULING –
THE COURT WROTE – “Such privileges are afforded to the President alone, not to his litigation adversaries.”
RULING THE CASE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY – AND YOU CAN TOO –
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