He’s a winner…
President Donald Trump took a victory lap, celebrating what he called a “major WIN” in his lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board over its 2018 award to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their coverage of the Russia probe.
The president declared the board’s defense was “viciously rejected” by a Florida appellate court, which denied its motion to pause proceedings until Trump leaves office.
Trump took to Truth Social to praise the decision and slam the reporting as “fake” and “malicious”:
BREAKING! In a major WIN in our powerful lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board regarding the illegal and defamatory “Award” of their once highly respected “Prize,” to fake, malicious stories on the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, by the Failing New York Times and the Washington Compost, the Florida Appellate Court viciously rejected the Defendants’ corrupt attempt to halt the case. They won a Pulitzer Prize for totally incorrect reporting about the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax. Now they admit it was a SCAM, never happened, and their reporting was totally wrong, in fact, the exact opposite of the TRUTH. They’ll have to give back their “Award.” They were awarded for false reporting, and we can’t let that happen in the United States of America. We are holding the Fake News Media responsible for their LIES to the American People, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
At the heart of the case is the board’s public defense of its Pulitzer-winning coverage. Trump sued for defamation in 2022, arguing that the board’s statements supporting the reporting – despite the Mueller probe finding no evidence of collusion – amounted to “malicious” and “false” claims.
Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled against the board’s attempt to delay the suit on constitutional grounds. Judges dismissed arguments that continuing the case would unconstitutionally interfere with a sitting president’s official duties, a line of attack the court called “misplaced.”
“Such privileges are afforded to the President alone, not to his litigation adversaries,” the opinion reads, adding that only the person entitled to immunity may assert it, and that Trump had made no such attempt.
The board had argued that allowing the case to proceed would violate due process, particularly since Trump himself has previously invoked presidential privilege to pause lawsuits against him.
The decision clears the way for the case to continue, allowing Trump to maintain pressure on the Pulitzer Board.
