President Donald Trump claimed a significant legal victory on Wednesday after a Florida appellate court ruled in his favor, allowing his defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board to move forward.
The case centers on Trump’s longstanding objections to the Pulitzer Prizes awarded in 2018 to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly condemned those reports as “fake” and “malicious.”
Trump celebrated the appellate court decision with a characteristically bold statement on his Truth Social platform, calling the ruling a “major WIN.” “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,” Trump wrote.
In his post, Trump went on to accuse the Pulitzer Board of honoring reporting that he described as “totally incorrect” and fundamentally at odds with the truth. “Now they admit it was a SCAM, never happened, and their reporting was totally wrong,” Trump claimed. “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.”
He concluded his statement by tying the case to his broader political message: “We are holding the Fake News Media responsible for their LIES to the American People, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” According to Law & Crime, the decision came from Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal, which rejected the Pulitzer Board’s attempt to pause the lawsuit until after Trump’s current term in office concludes.
The court’s seven-page opinion stated the board had failed to show any constitutional justification for a delay. The ruling does not decide the merits of the case but clears the way for the legal proceedings to continue. Trump’s legal team alleges the Pulitzer Board defamed him by awarding the prizes, which they argue validated false and damaging narratives.
The Pulitzer Board has not yet publicly commented on the appellate decision. As the lawsuit moves forward, it becomes another front in Trump’s ongoing battle with the media, one that continues to energize his base and shape his broader campaign messaging.
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