A federal judge threw out President Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over its content, calling it a "decidedly improper and impermissible" effort to attack his adversaries.
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday said Trump violated a federal civil procedure rule by failing to offer a short and plain statement of why he should prevail over the Times, four of its reporters and the publisher Penguin Random House. He faulted the president for instead packing his 85-page complaint with unnecessary statements lauding his successes and "singular brilliance," attacking critics, and even defending his father.
"A complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective – not a protected platform to rage against an adversary," wrote Merryday, an appointee of Republican former President George H.W. Bush. The Tampa, Florida-based judge gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint "in a professional and dignified manner" of no more than 40 pages.
A spokesman for Trump's legal team said in a statement: "President Trump will continue to hold the Fake News accountable through this powerhouse lawsuit against the New York Times, its reporters, and Penguin Random House, in accordance with the judge's direction on logistics."
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