By Michael Chen, Legal Correspondent
August 28, 2025
In a significant legal victory for President Donald Trump, the Florida Supreme Court on August 26, 2025, declined to hear a petition from the Pulitzer Prize Board to pause his defamation lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed. Trump hailed the decision as “correct and just,” with his attorney, R. Quincy Bird, stating, “President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, lies, and smears to account.” The ruling marks another milestone in Trump’s ongoing battle against the Pulitzer Board over its 2018 National Reporting awards to The New York Times and The Washington Post for coverage of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The lawsuit, filed in December 2022 in Okeechobee County, Florida, centers on a 2022 Pulitzer Board statement defending the awards after Trump demanded their retraction. The statement claimed two independent reviews found “no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions” in the awarded articles were discredited by subsequent facts. Trump argues this statement was defamatory, asserting the reporting was debunked by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, which found insufficient evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, despite Russian efforts to assist the campaign.
The Pulitzer Board sought to delay the case until Trump leaves office, citing potential constitutional conflicts with a sitting president pursuing a state court lawsuit. However, a state trial judge, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal, and now the Florida Supreme Court have rejected this argument. The high court’s brief ruling stated the petitioner lacked jurisdiction, affirming lower court decisions that Trump, as plaintiff, determines whether the suit interferes with his presidential duties. Judge Robert Pegg of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court previously noted, “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.”
The decision opens the door to the discovery phase, where Trump’s legal team aims to access the Pulitzer Board’s internal deliberations on the 2018 awards. Bird told the Daily Business Review, “We now continue a very illuminating discovery process.” The case has drawn attention for its implications for media accountability, with Trump alleging the Pulitzer Board’s refusal to rescind the awards perpetuates a “Russia Collusion Hoax.”
Posts on X reflect polarized reactions. One user wrote, “Trump’s lawsuit moving forward is a win against fake news. The Pulitzer Board needs to answer for propping up debunked stories.” Another countered, “This is just Trump bullying the media again. The Pulitzer Board stood by its rigorous review process.” The sentiment underscores the broader debate over journalistic integrity and legal accountability.
The lawsuit is one of several Trump has pursued against media entities, including a $15 million settlement with ABC in December 2024 and an ongoing case against CBS over a “60 Minutes” interview. As the Pulitzer suit advances, it continues to fuel discussions about the intersection of free speech, defamation, and political influence.
Sources: Law.com, Just The News, Mediaite, Florida Phoenix, Fox News, posts on X