NY Times Fires Back at Trump Over Lawsuit Threat: ‘We Will Continue to Pursue the Facts Without Fear!’
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The New York Times pushed back against President Donald Trump’s “intimidation tactics,” saying it “will not be deterred” after he floated legal action over its reporting that legal experts called his $20 billion Paramount lawsuit “baseless.”
The president unleashed on the outlet in a Wednesday morning Truth Social post as mediation talks were reportedly beginning between his legal team and Paramount Global, following months of legal escalation over the $20 billion lawsuit accusing CBS’s 60 Minutes of editing a Kamala Harris interview during the presidential election to mislead voters.
As reports surfaced that Paramount’s board had discussed settlement terms, Trump intensified his public campaign, alleging not only fraud by CBS and Paramount, but also suggesting that the Times could be legally “liable” for its coverage.
In response, a Times spokesperson issued the following statement:
President Trump’s post today follows a long list of legal threats aimed at discouraging or penalizing independent reporting about the administration. The law is clear and protects a strong free press and favors an informed American public. The New York Times will not be deterred by the administration’s intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.
In particular, Trump had seized on a Times article published Tuesday reporting that legal experts had dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless” and likely to fail.
Trump implied the outlet “could possibly be liable for tortious interference” in this case and during the election, while accusing its reporters of suffering “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” The president said his team were “intently studying” the Times reporting.
