A Florida circuit judge on Monday denied a request by the Pulitzer Prize board to pause a defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, clearing the way for the case to proceed despite his return to the White House.
The decision by Circuit Judge Robert Pegg rebuffs the board’s argument that Trump’s presidential responsibilities warrant a stay, setting up a legal showdown over a 2018 Pulitzer award that has long rankled the former and current commander-in-chief.
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Trump launched the suit in 2022 in Okeechobee County, alleging defamation by the Pulitzer board after it refused to rescind a joint 2018 prize awarded to The New York Times and The Washington Post.
The award honored their reporting on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election—coverage Trump has repeatedly dismissed as a “hoax.” After he demanded the prize be revoked, the board commissioned two independent reviews, both of which upheld the reporting’s integrity.
In a statement posted online, the board declared that “no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.” Trump claims this defense defamed him by implying his assertions were baseless.
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The Pulitzer board sought to dismiss the case, arguing it lacked merit, but a three-judge panel of Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeal rejected that bid last month.
Undeterred, the board then requested a stay, citing Trump’s January 20 inauguration and pointing to his own legal strategy in other cases—where he’s argued presidential duties should delay proceedings against him. The board’s attorneys called it a double standard for Trump to pursue litigation while dodging it elsewhere.
Judge Pegg, however, was unconvinced. In his Monday ruling, he wrote, “Should the duties of the president interfere with his ability to perform his obligations in this action, he is certainly entitled to seek the appropriate relief.” He added that failure to comply with court rules could trigger sanctions—fines, attorney’s fees, or even dismissal—applicable to “any other plaintiff.” The decision keeps the case on track, with Trump’s team now free to press forward.
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The Pulitzer board fired back Tuesday, decrying the ruling as a threat to fairness.
“Allowing any president to pursue civil claims against private citizens in state court while simultaneously claiming that private citizens cannot pursue civil claims against him in the same exact court is extremely troubling and should raise concerns for all Americans,” a spokesperson said. “The Pulitzer board is evaluating next steps and remains committed to continuing our defense of journalism.”
The lawsuit revives a years-long grudge match between Trump and the media establishment. His 2022 filing, originally lodged during his post-presidency, took aim at what he called a rigged Pulitzer process, seeking unspecified damages for harm to his reputation.
The board’s refusal to back down—backed by its reviews—only fueled his ire, and his return to power has amplified the stakes.
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