Former President Donald Trump intensifies his battle against media organizations following a recent defamation settlement.
According to Reuters, Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer while considering legal action against social media influencers, following ABC News' $15 million settlement and public apology over defamatory comments.
The lawsuit filed Monday night in Iowa's Polk County challenges the newspaper's November 2 poll, which showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris leading Trump by three percentage points in Iowa. Trump's legal team alleges intentional election interference through the poll results, seeking unspecified damages and restrictions on the newspaper's polling practices.
The ABC News settlement has emboldened Trump's legal strategy against media organizations.
The network agreed to donate $15 million to Trump's presidential library and issued a public apology for anchor George Stephanopoulos's incorrect statement about Trump being found liable for rape, rather than sexual abuse, in the E. Jean Carroll case.
Trump's legal team has leveraged this settlement in other ongoing disputes, including a copyright lawsuit against Simon & Schuster over audio recordings. They referenced the ABC settlement in a letter to the judge, suggesting the publisher should follow Stephanopoulos's "expression of contrition."
The former president has expanded his legal campaign to include CBS News, seeking $1 billion in damages over alleged deceptive editing in a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris. CBS maintains the lawsuit lacks merit and has requested dismissal.
Legal scholars express concern about the potential chilling effect on news coverage. Syracuse University communications professor Roy Gutterman's statement reflects this worry:
There is some serious concern that the erosion of legal protections could lead to less aggressive news coverage.
The current legal landscape presents significant hurdles for Trump's lawsuits against media organizations. Public figures must prove "actual malice" – demonstrating that defendants knowingly published false information or showed reckless disregard for the truth.
Despite these challenges, Trump's legal actions could create complications for news organizations by exposing internal communications and requiring depositions from journalists and executives. Some experts suggest ABC News might have prevailed in court but chose to settle due to potential administrative repercussions or litigation costs.
Trump actively challenges the established legal precedent protecting news coverage of public figures. Some Supreme Court justices have indicated a willingness to reconsider these protections, though Boston College law professor Jeffrey Pyle notes: "The standard remains a strong one, the strongest in the Western world."
Trump's case against the Des Moines Register represents his latest effort to confront media coverage through legal channels. The newspaper maintains its reporting's integrity and disputes the lawsuit's merit, while pollster Selzer has declined to comment.
Trump's expanding legal campaign against media outlets stems from various perceived grievances, including polling discrepancies, editorial decisions, and on-air statements. This strategic approach follows his recent victory in the ABC News settlement and signals potential further legal actions against other media organizations and social media influencers.
