Few Supreme Court precedents have shaped American political speech more than New York Times v. Sullivan, the 1964 decision that made it much harder for public officials, and later public figures, to win defamation lawsuits. Supporters say that high bar protects free debate, especially criticism of powerful people. Critics say it’s become a legal bunker…
Trump vs. The New York Times
Last week, on Monday, September 16, President Trump decided to take his long-simmering feud with The New York Times from the podium to the courtroom, filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the paper, several of its reporters, and even its publisher, Penguin Random House. The suit accused them of maliciously distorting his business record,…