Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit Raises a New Constitutional Question

[berg80]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

 

[shockedcanadian]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

His legal team should demand WSJ state publicly, "we cannot say with certainty that this is a letter from Trump" and Trump should accept that apology.

This precedence of pursuing lawsuits against media is going to backfire for the country as a whole is my gut feeling. Your 1st Amendment is very important though Trump knows how the game is played with companies such as National Enquirer and he doesn't want to be taken advantage of.

Now if it was a fake BDay card, he has to sue for his integrity alone as president. $10B is of course absurd, but, he should just allow a way for them to avoid it all with an apology or acknowledge they cannot confirm with 100% that it is his.

 

[sealybobo]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

Abuse of power. Talk about a bully pulpit huh?

 

[kyzr]

Just another TDS thread from berg.

Democrats are toxic. 19% approval. 2026 and 2028 can't come fast enough.

 

[sealybobo]

Just another TDS thread from berg.

Democrats are toxic. 19% approval. 2026 and 2028 can't come fast enough.

This has been the longest 6 months EVER. Can you believe Trump has only been POTUS for 6 months?

Yes I can't wait till 2026 when Democrats take back the house and Senate because of Epstein.

 

[shockedcanadian]

This has been the longest 6 months EVER. Can you believe Trump has only been POTUS for 6 months?

Yes I can't wait till 2026 when Democrats take back the house and Senate because of Epstein.

If Trumps is transparent, holds the line on tariffs, keeps deporting people and most importantly, defends Americas civil liberties, he will be difficult to beat in the mid terms.

Epstein is an issue but Trump has a large broad appeal, many of them chose him because of RFK and Gabbard who are both major libertarians in terms of government limited power.

If Trump doesn't get dragged down by the dinosaur Neo-Cons, he will keep the House.

 

[berg80]

His legal team should demand WSJ state publicly, "we cannot say with certainty that this is a letter from Trump" and Trump should accept that apology.

The point of the suit is to intimidate media outlets, not exact an a partial retraction. Hopefully, the WSJ won't cave in like CBS did.

 

[berg80]

If Trump doesn't get dragged down by the dinosaur Neo-Cons, he will keep the House.

He and his agenda are way under water in the polls. And sinking.

 

[berg80]

On the civil side, Trump has frequently invoked presidential immunity established in decades-old Supreme Court precedent to force civil plaintiffs with serious legal claims against him to endure years of litigation just to get him into the courthouse. Only a few ultimately succeeded, including the plaintiffs seeking to hold him liable for his conduct surrounding the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as E. Jean Carroll, who managed to secure roughly $90 million in two cases regarding allegations he sexually assaulted her; she is now facing yet another effort by Trump to toss the case out on the theory — you guessed it — that he is immune from claims that he defamed her.

Yet somehow, Trump is free to sue the Journal over an unflattering story — this despite the fact that it concerns a subject that the Trump administration first placed into the public spotlight and which has attracted the public’s attention like virtually no other issue during Trump’s second term.

 

[Dekster]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

They should counter-sue him anyway saying it is compulsory countersuit that can't be separated, and then let it get lost in the appeals process until the Donald is out of office.

 

[hadit]

This has been the longest 6 months EVER. Can you believe Trump has only been POTUS for 6 months?

Yes I can't wait till 2026 when Democrats take back the house and Senate because of Epstein.

By then, Epstein won't even register on anyone's radar. Democrats will be running around screeching about him and the voters will be saying, "Jeffrey who?". In political timelines, he'll be ancient history. Democrats are terrible at timing.

 

[sealybobo]

If Trumps is transparent, holds the line on tariffs, keeps deporting people and most importantly, defends Americas civil liberties, he will be difficult to beat in the mid terms.

Epstein is an issue but Trump has a large broad appeal, many of them chose him because of RFK and Gabbard who are both major libertarians in terms of government limited power.

If Trump doesn't get dragged down by the dinosaur Neo-Cons, he will keep the House.

Gawd you got your facts wrong. Stop watching Fox Canada.

Poll: Most Americans Know Trump Isn’t Targeting ‘Worst of the Worst’ for Deportation as He Claims​

A majority of respondents said the administration is focusing "too much" on deportations

Trump isn't transparent, lies daily, is trampling on civil liberties, he's being cruel with deportations. Did you know most people don't like the way Trump is deporting people?

Holds the line on tariffs? So you mean if he continues to cost Americans more? He ran on lower prices. You think higher prices is a winning strategy? He says jobs are coming home in 2 years. Do you believe that?

Trump is losing support on all his broken campaign promises.

On the economic front, it comes from continued calls to focus more on prices, rather than tariffs, which most Americans oppose. And now, there's the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which at least initially, most believe will help the wealthy.

On matters of deportation, differences hinge on who, and how many, Americans see as being targeted, as well as the use of detention facilities. Here again, the Republican and MAGA political base remain overwhelmingly approving of it all, but the rest of the American public has become less so.

Most now say the administration is not prioritizing dangerous criminals for deportation and also is deporting more people than they thought it would.

The program had majority support earlier in the term, but today it does not, moving along with that perception of who is being deported.

Trump told us Gabbard doesn't know what she's talking about. She was used and now isn't being used.

Mr. Trump made gains with Hispanic voters and started his term with approval from half of Hispanics. Today he has one-third.)

Don't even get me started on Arabs. They voted for Trump in MI because they didn't like that Biden wasn't being tougher with Israel. Trump is totally on Israel's side. The Arabs are PISSED. If they cost Kamala MI why wouldn't they cost Republicans the midterms?

RFK Jr. is a moron no one likes. People I know who liked him last year can't stand him now.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Just another TDS thread from berg.

Democrats are toxic. 19% approval. 2026 and 2028 can't come fast enough.

Then was then and this is now. Your MAGA will get its mouth pulled through its anus.

 

[Captain Caveman]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

Within a president's term of office, he can be subject to impeachment. After leaving office, he can be subject to prosecution for his actions that did not fall within his core official duties. I thought you guys knew that?

 

[kyzr]

This has been the longest 6 months EVER. Can you believe Trump has only been POTUS for 6 months?
Yes I can't wait till 2026 when Democrats take back the house and Senate because of Epstein.

That's like me saying that Republicans will keep the House and Senate because pedo Joe Biden showered with Ashley.

Democrats are toxic. A 19% approval is death.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

That's like me saying that Republicans will keep the House and Senate because pedo Joe Biden showered with Ashley.

Democrats are toxic. A 19% approval is death.

They are up over 30% and right behind MAGA this week.

Your man is plummeting in the polls.

Trump is headed into deep, deep waters.

So good.

 

[Mashmont]

This has been the longest 6 months EVER. Can you believe Trump has only been POTUS for 6 months?

Yes I can't wait till 2026 when Democrats take back the house and Senate because of Epstein.

This post tells it all. You leftwingers are universally despised, have no constructive plan for America, and so you're banking on a nothingburger nobody cares about from either side to bail you out.

 

[Mashmont]

They are up over 30% and right behind MAGA this week.

Your man is plummeting in the polls.

Trump is headed into deep, deep waters.

So good.

RCP has Trump averaging 46.3% approval across 12 recent polls Think about this: He was at about 43% when he routed Giggles in November.

 

[struth]

The president can sue you, but you can’t sue him.

It seems like an absurd thing to say but that’s effectively the reality of our legal system today, one that has become increasingly alarming during Donald Trump’s second term. It’s a dynamic that has been thrust into the center of national politics amid Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over the paper’s reporting on his relationship to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Supreme Court has been steadily building up an extraordinary level of immunity for presidents, on both civil and criminal fronts. And Trump has benefited from — and exploited — the law like no other president in American history.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/22/trump-lawsuit-wall-street-journal-supreme-court-ankush-khardori-column-00465728

If ever there was a prez who was born to abuse the protections afforded to the office, both historically and recently, it's trump.

Last year, in the case concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to receive criminal immunity from prosecution — based on a previously nonexistent doctrine that has no credible basis in the Constitution’s text or the Framers’ expectations. The decision paved the way for Trump’s reelection.

Another dembot thread oissed off the rule of law wouldn’t allow you to prosecute a former president for being president

You dembots are funny

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

This post tells it all. You leftwingers are universally despised, have no constructive plan for America, and so you're banking on a nothingburger nobody cares about from either side to bail you out.

Trump at 37 to 43% shows that the Dems are not 'universally' despised, idiot.

The right is more despised than the left.

There are 11 million more Democrats registered than Republicans.

Indies are now down to 29% for Trump.

Bleak days ahead in the wilderness for Mashmont's ilk.