Trump’s Legal Team Defends Traditional News Sites in a Court Filing: “The Media Reports Are Accurate”

Former President Donald Trump's legal team recently defended traditional media outlets in court. This development represents a significant departure from Trump's long-standing stance against the 'fake news media.' The filing, made in support of a motion to dismiss the case for 'vindictive and selective prosecution,' pertained to his criminal case in D.C. and contended that media reports from reputable sources, such as the New York Times, were 'accurate.'

The filing backed up a request to dismiss the case, claiming that it was unfairly targeted. It claims that prosecutors failed to respond to Trump's allegation that President Joe Biden wanted him prosecuted. According to Raw Story, the filing read, "If, for example, the New York Times falsely reported that President Biden told others that President Trump 'should be prosecuted,' then why not give the Court and the public peace of mind through the submission of competent evidence, rather than a blustering brief that is full of venom but deflects on the core facts? The answer is simple. The media reports are accurate." 

The document also stated, "Despite all of the Special Counsel’s self-aggrandizing comments about the supposedly unprecedented nature of his manufactured allegations against President Trump, the truly unprecedented aspect of this case is that a sitting president successfully urged the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to try to take down his chief political rival and, now, the leading candidate to be the next president."

"President Biden was so successful, in fact, that the Special Counsel brought two deeply flawed cases against President Trump and has engaged in a reckless effort to proceed to trial in both as soon as possible—even while President Biden anxiously waits to learn whether he will be charged with crimes by a different Special Counsel," the filing said.

This legal maneuver raised eyebrows because it puts Trump's attorneys in a position that appears to contradict the former President's long-standing rhetoric against the mainstream media. In a tweet, Kyle Cheney, a senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, highlighted the irony between Trump's attorneys' acknowledgment of the accuracy of media reports and Trump's consistent attacks on the credibility of news outlets.

"Lawyers for Donald Trump — who famously says anonymous sources are all fictional and the NYT and WaPo are bastions of fake news — argue in a legal filing tonight that two key reports in the NYT and WaPo, based largely on anonymous sources, are thoroughly and accurately reported," Cheney wrote. "The lawyers in this case describe the stories more accurately than prosecutors do. But it’s another example of Trump’s attorneys taking a position that is completely at odds with Trump’s rhetoric."

Recently, The Wrap reported that Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) has sued 20 media outlets, including Newsweek, the Hollywood Reporter, and CNBC, for $1.5 billion. According to the lawsuit, reports of a $73 million loss since the launch of Trump's social media platform Truth Social were 'an utter fabrication.' TMTG claims that these media outlets conspired to harm its reputation and undermine its financial standing, particularly in connection with an upcoming merger with Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC). The lawsuit seeks not only monetary damages but also injunctive relief to prevent the publication of what TMTG claims are defamatory statements in the future.

Truth Social's financial details revealed the platform's struggle in a recent SEC filing, with a total net loss of $31.5 million recorded until June 30, 2023. The legal battle becomes a bid for financial stability as well as a fight for Trump's reputation and potentially his candidacy, with the outcome also affecting the planned merger with DWAC.