A $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump’s media company has been dismissed by a federal judge. The ruling stops the case dead in its tracks before it could reach a jury. Trump Media and Technology Group had accused the publication of waging a deliberate campaign to harm its reputation through a 2023 article about Truth Social’s financing.
The Washington Post scores a win against Donald Trump
US District Judge Thomas Barber granted summary judgment in favor of The Washington Post. Ultimately, finding that Donald Trump‘s organization failed to clear the high legal bar that public figures must meet. The company could not produce clear and convincing evidence that the publication acted with “actual malice,” meaning it knowingly printed falsehoods or showed reckless disregard for the truth (via The Washington Post).
The lawsuit was about a May 2023 story examining how Trump’s social media venture sought funding ahead of its stock market debut. The title of the article is “Trust linked to porn-friendly bank could gain a stake in Trump’s Truth Social.” Trump Media claimed the piece formed part of a conspiracy to damage the company and demanded $3.8 billion in damages. Lawyers for the publication dismantled that argument. They pointed out that the reporter, Drew Harwell, had thoroughly investigated the subject. He had also stood by the article’s accuracy at the time.
While the case awaited a ruling, the paper issued a correction acknowledging that two specific assertions in the story were incorrect. Discovery had revealed that Trump Media did not pay a $240,000 loan referral fee. It was contrary to what the original reporting stated. The correction, however, stressed that those details reflected the information available during the reporting process.
Moreover, the outlet celebrated the outcome. A spokesperson said the company was pleased with the decision and looked forward to reviewing the full written order. Trump Media struck a different tone, insisting that a jury should weigh the facts and confirming it would evaluate an appeal. A company representative also vowed to keep pursuing media accountability.
