LOS ANGELES — A federal judge cast doubt Monday on a defamation claim Stormy Daniels filed against President Donald Trump for a tweet questioning the credibility of the adult-film actress.
Judge S. James Otero of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said the Trump tweet that gave rise to Daniels’ lawsuit looked to him like free speech that “lies at the heart of the First Amendment.”
“This is the type of political discourse and commentary that takes place in elections all the time, and I’m troubled that there’s a claim here for defamation,” Otero said.
“Your honor,” Daniels’ attorney, Michael Avenatti, told the judge, “this was not political by any stretch of the imagination.”
Otero cut off Avenatti, saying Trump’s tweet seemed to be protected speech by a public figure (“he’s president of the United States; it doesn’t get higher than that”) about a public figure (“she’s a movie actress”).
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/nation/trump-tweet-mocking-stormy-daniels-was-free-speech-not-defamation/article_ee84635f-0a0e-5953-a296-5fe22d05f35e.html