The New York Times just came through with the best response to Trump, who threatened the paper with a lawsuit after it published an interview with two women who claim the presidential candidate sexually assaulted them.
David McCraw, vice president and assistant general counsel for the paper, wrote to Trump’s lawyers, “The essence of a libel claim, of course, is the protection of one’s reputation. Mr. Trump has bragged about his non-consensual sexual touching of women. He has bragged about intruding on beauty pageant contestants in their dressing rooms. He acquiesced to a radio host’s request to discuss Mr. Trump’s own daughter as a ‘piece of ass.’ Multiple women not mentioned in our article have publicly come forward to report on Mr. Trump’s unwanted advances. Nothing in our article has had the slightest effect on the reputation that Mr. Trump, through his own words and actions, has already created for himself.”
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McCraw went on to defend the story and the journalist behind it: “Our reporters diligently worked to confirm the women’s accounts. They provided readers with Mr. Trump’s response, including his forceful denial of the women’s reports.”
He also added that not reporting the story would have been a disservice to the public, silencing two women whose story needed to be told and provided important information “about a subject of deep public concern.”
“If Mr. Trump disagrees, if he believes that American citizens had no right to hear what these women had to say and that the law of this country forces us and those who would dare to criticize him to stand silent or be punished, we welcome the opportunity to have a court set him straight.”
Whew! The ball is in Trump’s court now, but after that epic burn, it’s probably best that he take several seats.