Trump’s lawsuits against the press are about power, not winning

By Ren LaForme, managing editor

In his ongoing battle with the press, President Donald Trump has honed a legal strategy that’s less about winning and more about intimidation. His constant, often legally flimsy, lawsuits against news organizations seem designed to exert pressure rather than prevail in court.

As longtime media reporter Paul Farhi explained in the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast,” Trump’s goal is simple: exhaust, intimidate and force newsrooms into costly settlements, all while sending a message that critical coverage comes with a price.

An ongoing example: Trump’s feud with The Associated Press over the wire service’s use of “Gulf of Mexico” instead of Trump’s preferred “Gulf of America.”

“It’s not about the word itself,” Farhi said. “It’s about hassling the press, showing who’s boss and pushing around the ‘lamestream media,’ as he likes to call it.”

While the dispute may seem trivial, Farhi noted that going after a neutral, influential institution like the AP sets a dangerous precedent.

“If you can push around the AP, what’s stopping you from doing the same to The New York Times, NBC or others?” Farhi asked.

Trump’s approach exploits weaknesses in the media world, where even the most deep-pocketed outlets must weigh the financial and reputational risks of prolonged legal fights.

“There’s a real cost to defending yourself against frivolous lawsuits, and Trump knows that,” Farhi said. “Even if a lawsuit gets laughed out of court, it forces a news organization to spend time and money. That’s often enough to have a chilling effect.”

And while Trump’s legal threats are mostly aimed at major institutions, smaller newsrooms and independent journalists — who are least equipped for expensive litigation — are put in a tough spot and may think twice before publishing critical stories.

Meanwhile, settling these lawsuits — as some outlets have chosen to do — can set a dangerous precedent.

“If a news organization settles, it signals to Trump — and others — that this tactic works,” said Tom Jones, Poynter’s senior media writer and host of the podcast. “It encourages more lawsuits and makes it harder for the press to do its job without fear of legal harassment.”

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Previous episodes

• Athletic media reporter Richard Deitsch predicts Tom Brady’s future in the broadcast booth
• IFCN director Angie Drobnic Holan points to X’s fact-checking system as a cautionary tale
• Media veteran Elliott Wiser dramatically reimagines local TV news to ensure its survival
• Associated Press media writer David Bauder details how Trump’s relationship with the press may affect his attacks on it
• Poynter ethics chair Kelly McBride and managing editor Ren LaForme grade the press’s election coverage and forecast a bumpy road ahead
• PolitiFact editor-in-chief Katie Sanders predicts a long road ahead for election fact-checking
• NBC News and MSNBC national political correspondent Steve Kornacki on the state of polling and America’s election systems
• Poynter president Neil Brown on a new report that highlights some bright spots in the business of media
• NPR TV critic Eric Deggans on what the media gets right and wrong about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Credits:

The Poynter Report Podcast is produced by the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg

• Host: Tom Jones
• Executive Producers: Elliott Wiser and Ren LaForme
• Producers: Rhiannon McIsaac, Noah Chase and Tom Jones
• Director: Christopher Campbell
• Special thank you: Neil Brown and Dr. Mark Walters