Since President Trump began his political career in 2015, the number of media and defamation lawsuits involving him or his businesses as either the plaintiff or defendant quadrupled compared to the prior three decades, according to an Axios analysis of public databases.
Why it matters: The growing volume shows how, since turning into a political figure, Trump has become bolder about using the courts in media and free speech cases.
How it works: One observer notes a theme in Trump’s increasing legal attacks.
- Each case is unique yet connected, Kevin Goldberg, vice president at Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan nonprofit fostering First Amendment freedoms, tells Axios.
- “The consistent theme is his willingness to use the court system, even as a public figure and a public official, to silence people, to force them to correct statements, to just generally make them uncomfortable,” Goldberg says.
By the numbers: Ahead of the 2016 election, USA Today reported that Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 legal actions since 1976. Media and defamation cases accounted for a small percentage.
- According to Axios’ analysis, Trump was involved in seven lawsuits related to media or defamation in the three decades prior to announcing his presidential bid on June 16, 2015. Since that date, that count jumped to 29.