White House Removes Wall Street Journal from Press Pool, Trump Files $10 Billion Lawsuit
The White House removed The Wall Street Journal from President Trump's Scotland press pool, citing "fake and defamatory conduct" over a Jeffrey Epstein story, leading Trump to file a $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
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Overview
- The White House removed The Wall Street Journal from President Trump's Scotland press pool, citing "fake and defamatory conduct" regarding its coverage of Jeffrey Epstein.
- This decision followed a Wall Street Journal story about an alleged birthday letter and drawing from President Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, which President Trump has denied creating.
- President Trump subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its reporters, seeking at least $10 billion in damages over the disputed story.
- The White House recently took over control of the press pool from the White House Correspondents' Association, with 13 other outlets covering the President's Scotland trip.
- The White House Correspondents' Association president and Weijia Jiang criticized the White House's decision, viewing it as a troubling action potentially defying the First Amendment.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Trump's actions as an aggressive escalation in his ongoing "battle" against the press, portraying them as a deliberate "tactic" to "intimidate" and "suppress speech." They emphasize a "broader pattern" of his administration's efforts to restrict media access and challenge unfavorable reporting, linking these actions to a perceived threat to press freedom.
"Trump's aggressive actions against the Wall Street Journal reflect a broader pattern of trying to intimidate news organizations that report stories he does not like."
Associated Press"The White House has removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from the press pool for President Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland, over the Journal's story on what it called a "bawdy" birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that the paper alleged was signed by Mr. Trump in the early 2000s."
CBS News"The White House's decision to exclude the Wall Street Journal from the press pool due to its reporting on Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein raises concerns about government retaliation against media outlets."
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FAQ
President Trump filed a lawsuit over a Wall Street Journal report claiming he sent a suggestive birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denies the report, calling it 'false and defamatory,' and is seeking at least $10 billion in damages, though reports also mention a figure of $20 billion.
The White House removed The Wall Street Journal due to 'fake and defamatory conduct' related to its coverage of a Jeffrey Epstein story[1].
The lawsuit is to be presided over by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles[2].
If President Trump pursues the case, he may have to answer questions under oath about his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, which could provide insight into their relationship[2].
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