Yesterday an Australian journalist asked the #DirtyOldMan about the billions of dollars he has made since January 2025. He responded by saying he was set to meet with Aussie leaders soon and he would be punishing the country because this one reporter asked such a "rude" question. That is breath taking. I actually cancelled my long held subscription to the NYT in disgust over its "both sides" coverage of the election. If it decides to fight this bat shit lawsuit, I'm ready to give it another chance. Thanks Judd and all the fearless journalists -- our country needs you to stay strong. ❤️🤍💙
The end of this post kind of sums up the mixed bag of feelings which accompanies the present journalistic climate. On one hand, organizations like the Des Moines Register are ready to fight the baseless lawsuit against them. On the other hand, that there isn't a stronger effort to enshrine or safeguard press freedoms feels depressingly dystopian.
Thanks again. It would seem a better strategy for these groups to start counter suits demanding payment for all legal fees and additional pain and suffering from this man for these suits. Punch a bully in the face to get them to stop.
Trump has the money to pursue these law suits forever, while smaller companies do not, so essentially Trump may not win on the merits, but can drive his opponents out of business. The NYT has the money to keep going after Trump. That may make him hesitate to keep going, or perhaps his ego won’t let him back off. Remember that E. Jean Carroll has continued to win, & he will have to pay the penalty.
On September 8, 2025, the Federal Appeals Court upheld the $83.3 million judgment against Trump. Unless the Supreme Court were to take up an appeal, Trump will have no choice but to pay up now. Assets can be confiscated to meet a legal obligation.
I was just trying to make the point that if you can afford to stand up to him, he doesn’t necessarily win. If you have to quit fighting because you can’t afford to pay your attorneys & other expenses, then you drop out & he wins by default.
This is why you do not try to appease fascists. The NY Times coverage of Trump, how it’s sanewashed him, has been nothing short of comical over the last decade. It’s been especially egregious these last two years. And yet they’re still getting sued because they said things he doesn’t like.
This is who he is. This is who he’s always been. The sooner The NY Times recognizes it’s in danger just like the rest of us, the sooner things might change and they’d start doing their jobs instead of kissing Trump’s ass.
You are so so spot on! You just reminded me why I cancelled NYT subscription. Was tempted to resubscribe if they fight this. But no. I won’t until they stop pussyfooting around him, stop two-siding everything, stop—as you say—kissing his ass.
Between billionaires owning WaPo, The LA Times, etc and prejudicing their editorial, these lawsuit intimidations and right wing propagandists like Sinclair buying up news stations (and just fell into a rabbit hole and realized Politico got bought by a fossil fuel pushing questionable company in 2021 which explains a lot)…. another guard rail and check and balance on government and corporate corruption is vanishing. What is the solution?
And now Sinclair who I hadn’t even heard much of in recent horrible news… is trying to force their stations to playing Kirk tribute instead of Kimmel and they are demanding Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family… it seems ever since they got caught scripting their news as this same repeated propaganda speech that one time they went back in the shadows but I guess they were just lying in wait.
Just one more brick in the wall of breaking norms and getting control of every aspect of our lives and promised freedoms. The advance of computer capabilities and the Internet is causing massive social upheaval. Things are changing rapidly and I really fear for our lives and our country. It all seems so tenuous. Who could have imagined this could happen so quickly? That the institutions we put our faith in would start to crumble so easily. The courts, the third estate and the who,e system of governing is under attack. Thai you Judd for being prescient and seeing it coming.
Trump is exploiting the system by extorting money and intimidating the press in service of his authoritarian aims. He is successfully weakening all the actual and potential institutions that might contest his corrupt, anti democratic motives. So far there does not seem any way to stop him.
Please don't dismiss the power of people who still care. History teaches us that people power is the long game. (Thanks to all the history teachers on Substack and YouTube.)
This reminds me of the journalistic efforts to get the Harvey Weinstein story out into the open and the many times Weinstein lawyers descended on, not just the victims, but the journalists. And how many of those reporters walked away from the story in fear of ruin. It took the NYT and the New Yorker -the latter not known for its courageous reporting per se, to get the story in print.
I read "Lucky Loser," sickening, just sickening what tactics Trump used to cheat and ruin people all his life.
Hard to be with this editor's comments after the NYT's falsely equivalent 'both sides do it' coverage of Trump and other Republican politicians during the last election... And every major election come to think of it.... I fight against the thought that - sow the wind, reap the whirlwind'.... I think I'll just go read Dr. Krugman's column, or the Guardian's coverage of Netanyahu'disgusting campaign of eradication against the Palestinians....
The lawsuit document has got to be the most emphatic printed proof of Donald Trump's mental derangement available to the general public. It won't win him fifteen billion dollars, and hopefully will win him fifteen years in a mental institution.
Is there a Free Press Legal Fund that we can contribute to? Some large rival media groups (NYT, CNN, CBS/ABC/NBC, Bloomberg) could all band together to defend themselves and smaller outlets by defending the freedom of the press by contesting lawsuits. Erosion of this freedom will come for them in the end.
Turn the tables & or use this issue to forward democracy.
1. In essence his lawsuits mean you’ve gotten under his THIN skin. A true response by someone who feels threatened & lacks confidence. Be flattered not scared. The lawsuits, as stated time and again have no legal basis.
2. A good leader should be confident enough in their words & actions that when, those they lead might try to spread “… false and defamatory content”. It is part of leadership territory.
He knows his words & actions are bad, he is a frightened & insecure person, why else would he feel the need for such retribution & in large quantities.
3. Turn the tables or should and can we make this a moment to point out what democracy looks like?
Imagine a visual- on one side are pictures, drawings…use AI:-) w/matching bullet points of all the “false and defamatory content” & words he has used against former presidents, politicians, porn stars…in the past 10+ yrs and there are plenty!
-with some kind of visual & things he is currently accusing others of.
Bound to be a few if not many crossovers.
Illustrating the irony & hypocrisy of it all. And ask why?
What is he so angry about or afraid of?
Maybe these many lawsuits are distractions -a fear of loosing it all once the majority of American people & the world find out the real truth?
This is a golden opportunity for the NYT. Florida has pretty good laws against frivolous lawsuits, so the NYT can get compensated when this suit is dismissed. But, in the meantime they should use this opportunity to immediately depose Trump and get him under oath on the many issues his lawsuit alleges are untrue. We need Trump under oath. He will drop the lawsuit quickly instead of testifying under oath.
I love that idea of starting discovery and deposing Trump before going for dismissal- as a public service. And they get attorneys fees (maybe) so they can justify fighting when dismissal is ripe from the pleadings alone.
Yesterday an Australian journalist asked the #DirtyOldMan about the billions of dollars he has made since January 2025. He responded by saying he was set to meet with Aussie leaders soon and he would be punishing the country because this one reporter asked such a "rude" question. That is breath taking. I actually cancelled my long held subscription to the NYT in disgust over its "both sides" coverage of the election. If it decides to fight this bat shit lawsuit, I'm ready to give it another chance. Thanks Judd and all the fearless journalists -- our country needs you to stay strong. ❤️🤍💙
Same here. Cancelled both WaPo and NYT. But will subscribe again if NYT tells him to go fly a kite.
I was thinking the same. Cancelled NYT and WaPo last year over their election coverage but if they fight this one I might give them another try
The end of this post kind of sums up the mixed bag of feelings which accompanies the present journalistic climate. On one hand, organizations like the Des Moines Register are ready to fight the baseless lawsuit against them. On the other hand, that there isn't a stronger effort to enshrine or safeguard press freedoms feels depressingly dystopian.
Thanks again. It would seem a better strategy for these groups to start counter suits demanding payment for all legal fees and additional pain and suffering from this man for these suits. Punch a bully in the face to get them to stop.
Trump has the money to pursue these law suits forever, while smaller companies do not, so essentially Trump may not win on the merits, but can drive his opponents out of business. The NYT has the money to keep going after Trump. That may make him hesitate to keep going, or perhaps his ego won’t let him back off. Remember that E. Jean Carroll has continued to win, & he will have to pay the penalty.
But does he pay? - or just not pay?
On September 8, 2025, the Federal Appeals Court upheld the $83.3 million judgment against Trump. Unless the Supreme Court were to take up an appeal, Trump will have no choice but to pay up now. Assets can be confiscated to meet a legal obligation.
I won’t hold my breath. The SCOTUS will possibly take up the appeal & rule for the felon like they often do
True, but that was a suit brought *against* him for rape and defamation. E. Jean Carroll. Slightly different in terms of who can say what about whom.
I was just trying to make the point that if you can afford to stand up to him, he doesn’t necessarily win. If you have to quit fighting because you can’t afford to pay your attorneys & other expenses, then you drop out & he wins by default.
This is why you do not try to appease fascists. The NY Times coverage of Trump, how it’s sanewashed him, has been nothing short of comical over the last decade. It’s been especially egregious these last two years. And yet they’re still getting sued because they said things he doesn’t like.
This is who he is. This is who he’s always been. The sooner The NY Times recognizes it’s in danger just like the rest of us, the sooner things might change and they’d start doing their jobs instead of kissing Trump’s ass.
If the billionaires, the PACs, the SCOTUS etc. would stop kissing his ass then we wouldn’t have this problem.
You are so so spot on! You just reminded me why I cancelled NYT subscription. Was tempted to resubscribe if they fight this. But no. I won’t until they stop pussyfooting around him, stop two-siding everything, stop—as you say—kissing his ass.
Between billionaires owning WaPo, The LA Times, etc and prejudicing their editorial, these lawsuit intimidations and right wing propagandists like Sinclair buying up news stations (and just fell into a rabbit hole and realized Politico got bought by a fossil fuel pushing questionable company in 2021 which explains a lot)…. another guard rail and check and balance on government and corporate corruption is vanishing. What is the solution?
And now Sinclair who I hadn’t even heard much of in recent horrible news… is trying to force their stations to playing Kirk tribute instead of Kimmel and they are demanding Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family… it seems ever since they got caught scripting their news as this same repeated propaganda speech that one time they went back in the shadows but I guess they were just lying in wait.
Just one more brick in the wall of breaking norms and getting control of every aspect of our lives and promised freedoms. The advance of computer capabilities and the Internet is causing massive social upheaval. Things are changing rapidly and I really fear for our lives and our country. It all seems so tenuous. Who could have imagined this could happen so quickly? That the institutions we put our faith in would start to crumble so easily. The courts, the third estate and the who,e system of governing is under attack. Thai you Judd for being prescient and seeing it coming.
Trump is exploiting the system by extorting money and intimidating the press in service of his authoritarian aims. He is successfully weakening all the actual and potential institutions that might contest his corrupt, anti democratic motives. So far there does not seem any way to stop him.
Please don't dismiss the power of people who still care. History teaches us that people power is the long game. (Thanks to all the history teachers on Substack and YouTube.)
And all this after The NY Times did everything in its power to help Trump win the 2024 election.
This reminds me of the journalistic efforts to get the Harvey Weinstein story out into the open and the many times Weinstein lawyers descended on, not just the victims, but the journalists. And how many of those reporters walked away from the story in fear of ruin. It took the NYT and the New Yorker -the latter not known for its courageous reporting per se, to get the story in print.
I read "Lucky Loser," sickening, just sickening what tactics Trump used to cheat and ruin people all his life.
Hard to be with this editor's comments after the NYT's falsely equivalent 'both sides do it' coverage of Trump and other Republican politicians during the last election... And every major election come to think of it.... I fight against the thought that - sow the wind, reap the whirlwind'.... I think I'll just go read Dr. Krugman's column, or the Guardian's coverage of Netanyahu'disgusting campaign of eradication against the Palestinians....
The lawsuit document has got to be the most emphatic printed proof of Donald Trump's mental derangement available to the general public. It won't win him fifteen billion dollars, and hopefully will win him fifteen years in a mental institution.
Is there a Free Press Legal Fund that we can contribute to? Some large rival media groups (NYT, CNN, CBS/ABC/NBC, Bloomberg) could all band together to defend themselves and smaller outlets by defending the freedom of the press by contesting lawsuits. Erosion of this freedom will come for them in the end.
100% bullseye - thanks for writing
Turn the tables & or use this issue to forward democracy.
1. In essence his lawsuits mean you’ve gotten under his THIN skin. A true response by someone who feels threatened & lacks confidence. Be flattered not scared. The lawsuits, as stated time and again have no legal basis.
2. A good leader should be confident enough in their words & actions that when, those they lead might try to spread “… false and defamatory content”. It is part of leadership territory.
He knows his words & actions are bad, he is a frightened & insecure person, why else would he feel the need for such retribution & in large quantities.
3. Turn the tables or should and can we make this a moment to point out what democracy looks like?
Imagine a visual- on one side are pictures, drawings…use AI:-) w/matching bullet points of all the “false and defamatory content” & words he has used against former presidents, politicians, porn stars…in the past 10+ yrs and there are plenty!
-with some kind of visual & things he is currently accusing others of.
Bound to be a few if not many crossovers.
Illustrating the irony & hypocrisy of it all. And ask why?
What is he so angry about or afraid of?
Maybe these many lawsuits are distractions -a fear of loosing it all once the majority of American people & the world find out the real truth?
This is a golden opportunity for the NYT. Florida has pretty good laws against frivolous lawsuits, so the NYT can get compensated when this suit is dismissed. But, in the meantime they should use this opportunity to immediately depose Trump and get him under oath on the many issues his lawsuit alleges are untrue. We need Trump under oath. He will drop the lawsuit quickly instead of testifying under oath.
I love that idea of starting discovery and deposing Trump before going for dismissal- as a public service. And they get attorneys fees (maybe) so they can justify fighting when dismissal is ripe from the pleadings alone.