Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal, alleging they libeled him by publishing an article attributing to Trump a hand-drawn birthday card to Epstein. Full complaint at https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830/gov.uscourts.flsd.693830.1.0_1.pdf 1/ #LawFedi
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@heidilifeldman I don’t see how it’s possible to damage Trump’s already terrible reputation. It’s not worth $1 let alone $10bn
@heidilifeldman
I do not know the law in USA but, in France, there is the concept of "secret of correspondence" : I am not sure I have the right to publish the private letter of anybody.
@heidilifeldman my question; who will blink first?,Murdock does not like juries, IIRC and could settle. That said, this feels a bit different and I could see him l wanting to get into Discovery. I
@heidilifeldman Maybe this is their swing at overturning the malice standard?
@heidilifeldman
As to whether tRump ever makes simple sketches, apparently the answer is yes. (Unless he now claims that he had some flunky do it for him…)
@heidilifeldman oh this will be fun
While it is typical for Trump to file defamation suits, this one seems particularly fraught with problems for him. When a public figure like Trump sues a publication, the public figure must show that that content of the article is false and was made with reckless disregard for the truth. 2/
@heidilifeldman There would also need to be damages to Trumps reputation. Trump hand drawing a skanky birthday card for Epstein is pretty much on brand - there are no damages.
@heidilifeldman he’s gonna try to get the Supreme Court to lower the standard for public figures to be the same as for everybody else
@Frannoval yes he is, but truth is still a defense and so WSJ will get to do extensive discovery
The WSJ will be able to conduct all manner of discovery to show that the story is true and that even if some if its particulars are wrong they had good reason to believe they were publishing truths. This is going to put all sorts of information about Trump and Epstein into the public record. 3/
@heidilifeldman
This bit. It’s the best bit.
Check out the Ben Roberts Smith case in Aust.
BRS sued for defamation and lost.
Along the way he went from celebrated war hero to war criminal.
Trump has sued for punitive damages as well as compensatory ones, demanding $10 billion. Murdoch’s personal net worth is listed at over $24 billion by Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/profile/rupert-murdoch/ Maybe Trump thinks he can scare Murdoch into settling, but I doubt Murdoch will cave. The WSJ has liability insurance, Murdoch has money. And as far as I know none of Murdoch’s businesses are trying to do a merger that needs Trump regime approval. 4/
@heidilifeldman
Trump's $10 billion claim is ludicrous. It's 2-3 orders of magnitude high. The suit and the number are Trump waving his peacock feathers in the wind.
His suit is not very strong. Murdoch is likely to prevail, and appears to have zero reason to settle. This is so common a Trump response, Murdoch's team will have anticipated it, and probably took bets about the number he would ask for.
Murdoch will make money on this every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
@heidilifeldman he’s real mad he hasn’t been a billionaire for a long time, and all of his friends know
@heidilifeldman I couldn't love this more.
@heidilifeldman The more Trump reacts to this situation. The more he looks guilty. I hope this is the start of his support network crumbling around him.
@heidilifeldman
I think it’s up in the air whether the WSJ will decide to fight or to fold.
@heidilifeldman Trump has successfully 'shaken down' several media companies. Why would he think this ploy won't work. He won't get the $10B, but surely he has a figure in mind.
@heidilifeldman
This part. He will make this go away.
@heidilifeldman ah so now he’ll be disposed- but of course heexpects a settlement😡
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