Trump wins major victory in Pulitzer defamation lawsuit
Share this @internewscast.com

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

President Donald Trump achieved a significant win in his defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board when a Florida court ruled in his favor regarding an immunity issue on Wednesday.

Back in January, the board tried to temporarily halt the proceedings of the case until Trump’s current term in office concludes, following an unsuccessful attempt with the trial court.

In a seven-page opinion, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal rejected those dilatory efforts out of hand.

“The board contends that delaying the case will prevent constitutional conflicts that might arise from Trump’s participation as a plaintiff in a state court civil action on claims potentially related to his official duties as President,” the court stated. “We deny the petition and uphold the trial court’s decision.”

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

The board argued that moving forward with the lawsuit “would now raise constitutional concerns for this court — or any other state court — to exercise ‘direct control’ over” Trump during his presidency. The motion to stay cited the supremacy and take care clauses of the U.S. Constitution in service of this argument.

“Petitioners effectively ask that the court invoke a temporary immunity under the Supremacy Clause on [Trump’s] behalf to stay this civil proceeding, even though [Trump] has not sought such relief,” the appellate court summarized. “They further allege that it would violate due process to allow [Trump] to claim constitutional entitlement to stay cases because of his office but not allow them the same ability.”

But the judges were not convinced.

On the specific question of constitutional privileges, the court notes the president has even more than the board cites in their motion.

“But such privileges are afforded to the President alone, not to his litigation adversaries,” the appellate court muses.

Taking stock of the broader concept, the court explains that other government officials — of lesser stature than the president — also enjoy “similar protections” and immunities from court proceedings.

Again, the court explains, only the privileged party is the one who can invoke the privilege in question.

“While government officials may claim the immunities and protections provided to them in court proceedings, the law is clear that such privileges are not available to third parties to claim, nor may such privileges be asserted by others on the officials’ behalf,” the opinion goes on. “The principle of standing says that, generally, one cannot assert someone else’s constitutional rights. Immunities and privileges, by their very nature, inure solely to the benefit of the individual for whom they are intended. Thus, application of a governmental immunity cannot be asserted by the Petitioners as private citizens.”

The Pulitzer Prize Board, in its appeal, justified its argument by noting how Trump himself has, on several occasions, cited constitutional protections for the president to try and pump the brakes on civil lawsuits in which he is the named defendant for non-presidential conduct. Specifically, the board cited a since-dropped lawsuit against Trump by Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice.

The appeals court says this citation is “misplaced.”

“In Zervos, a New York court held that President Trump, as the sitting President of the United States, was not entitled to a stay in a state court action grounded in claims of defamation brought against him based on alleged actions that occurred before taking office,” the judges write.

In a separate but closely-related argument, the board also argued Trump is essentially precluded from objecting to the stay request because of similar arguments he has made — which is distinct from saying the court itself should rely on prior such arguments.

But, again, the court rejects this logic.

“These cases are not substantially similar to the one at bar to estop [Trump] from objecting to a stay,” the opinion continues. “By trying to draw parallels to those cases, Petitioners conflate situations where the President is a defendant in an action, in contrast to this case, where the President is the plaintiff. Because those cases involve situations where a President was the defendant on claims brought against him, and not a plaintiff pursuing claims initiated by him, those cases are inapposite.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

“Incident at Florida Motel Involving Alleged ‘Sugar Daddy’ Results in Shooting, One Fatality: Police Report”

Inset: Ronald Davis (Broward County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Plantation Motel in Plantation,…

Man Convicted for Stabbing Teen 22 Times and Concealing Her Body

Background: News footage of Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney in court (KCCI). Inset: Michele “Luna”…

Police Report: Man Allegedly Robs Friend Over PlayStation Purchase

Background: Bodycam footage of Nicholas Flores being arrested (Lee County Sheriff”s Office).…

Mom Arrested After Tragic Incident: Drunk and Asleep, Infant Suffocates – Police

Inset: Brennan K. Spencer (Cleveland County Jail). Background: The area in Oklahoma…

Nurse Alters Plea in Unauthorized Foot Amputation Case

Background: Spring Valley Senior Living and Healthcare Campus in Spring Valley, Wisconsin…

E. Jean Carroll Wins Another Court Battle Against Trump

Left: E. Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist, enters a vehicle outside…

Man Arrested for Stalking and Threatening Ex-Wife and Child

Inset: Taylor Warford (23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office). Background: The Jefferson County…

Judge Cannon Urged to Address Unresolved Mar-a-Lago Matter

Left: Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of…

Man Arrested in Connection with New York Child Sexual Battery Case

Staff report from Gainesville Police Department social media post GAINESVILLE, Fla. –…

Man Convicted for Fatally Shooting Estranged Wife

Background: News footage captures the aftermath of the incident where Tony Morris…

Intoxicated Oklahoma Woman Falls Asleep and Accidentally Suffocates Newborn Twin After Consuming White Claw Seltzers: Authorities

An Oklahoma woman is facing charges after police say she fell asleep…

Revealed: Texts Allegedly Showing Emil Bove’s Profane Remark

Accompanied by his attorneys Todd Blanche on the left and Emil Bove,…