Pulitzer Board Flips To Use Trump’s Legal Playbook Against Him in Defamation Case

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The Pulitzer Board is flipping President Donald Trump’s own legal arguments on their head in an attempt to pause his defamation lawsuit against them.

The lawsuit, which Trump filed after the Pulitzer Board awarded prizes to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their reporting on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, has taken a sharp turn as the Board counters with a clever legal strategy.

In their latest filing, according to a CNN report, the Pulitzer Board pointed out that Trump himself has previously argued that lawsuits against him should be delayed while he is in office, citing constitutional protections for sitting presidents.

“In that case, Trump’s team argued, ‘(c)ommonsense favors a stay of this case until the end of the President’s term,’ so that ‘President Trump can devote his time and energies to America’s problems,’” the Pulitzer filing noted.

Trump’s lawyers initially made the statement as part of an effort to pause a lawsuit brought by investors in his Truth Social parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group.

The Pulitzer Board’s argument essentially repurposes Trump’s own defense tactics to shield themselves from litigation while his case is active.

While federal criminal charges against Trump are on hold due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, several civil suits are moving forward. These include the $500 million fraud judgment secured by New York Attorney General Letitia James and judgments won by E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation.

Whether the legal move will halt Trump’s Pulitzer lawsuit remains to be seen.