The New York Times issued a firm rebuke of President Trump on Wednesday after the president threatened the news outlet with legal action over reporting on the litigation in which he is locked with Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News.
“President Trump’s post today follows a long list of legal threats aimed at discouraging or penalizing independent reporting about the administration. The law is clear and protects a strong free press and favors an informed American public,” the Times said in a statement to The Hill.
The outlet was referencing a social media post by Trump earlier Wednesday morning in which the president accused Times journalists of having “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, possibly to the point where the Times’ interjection makes them liable for tortious interference, including in Elections, which we are intently studying.”
The Times on Tuesday evening published a report laying out an effort by lawyers for the president and Paramount Global to secure a settlement in connection with the lawsuit he filed over an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes,” a CBS News program.
The report noted “legal experts have called the suit baseless and an easy victory for CBS,” an assertion Trump pushed back aggressively on in his Truth Social post.
“The New York Times will not be deterred by the administration’s intimidation tactics,” the Times said in its statement Wednesday. “We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.”
Trump earlier this week attacked the Times along with a number of news organizations over polling showing his approval ratings sagging and voters giving him lower marks on tariffs and the economy than issues such as immigration and border security.
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