Stormy Daniels Loses Her Defamation Suit Against Trump — and Has to Pay His Legal Fees

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Donald Trump has defeated the defamation suit brought against him by Stormy Daniels.

The adult film actress, whose birth name is Stephanie Clifford, sued him in April for suggesting on Twitter that she lied about a man allegedly threatening her to keep her quiet about a sexual encounter she claims to have had with the president.

At the time, Trump tweeted about Daniels’ claims, calling the allegation “a total con job” and “playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!”

On Monday, Federal District Judge S. James Otero in Los Angeles dismissed Daniels’ lawsuit against Trump, calling his tweet “rhetorical hyperbole normally associated with politics and public discourse in the United States,” according to the ruling obtained by CNN.
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“Mr. Trump’s tweet is a non-actionable opinion that cannot be the subject of a defamation claim,” the ruling states, later explaining, “The First Amendment protects this type of rhetorical statement.” (Judge Otero previously indicated in September during arguments that he believed the tweet by Trump that named her appeared to be protected by the First Amendment.)

People

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