Melania Trump has made good on her threat to sue news outlets that spread alleged lies about her and filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail and also a blog website.
A reporter for the Guardian posted the complaint:
It appears to me to also be a shot across the bow of other bloggers to not publish stuff that might annoy el Trumpo, but according to Jacobs, there is a much less conspiratorial reason to include the blogger:
The blogger seems only to be included in the Melania/Daily Mail so the case can be tried in Maryland which has defamation per se
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) September 1, 2016
And yet, the blogger has already apologized and retracted:
The blogger that Melania Trump is suing in addition to Daily Mail has already published an apology and retraction https://t.co/2xiTUyU9ms
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) September 1, 2016
So… that makes me wonder. Trump has threatened over and over to change the libel laws so that he can sue whatever news outlet he wants. He also said lately that he would use lawsuits to frustrate his media opponents and possibly bankrupt them:
Trump casually threatens to sue more journalists solely to try to bleed them of money https://t.co/g5zVff6wbF pic.twitter.com/uvbpkSnLrw
— Trevor Timm (@trevortimm) August 30, 2016
It doesn’t matter whether he’s right or wrong – just a threat of a costly lawsuit can force opponents to do what he wants. And he’s not even hiding the fact that he would use this tactic, which many call “lawfare.”
SO. That’s another bothersome aspect of the cheeto-faced totalitarian’s presidential hopes…