Pulitzer Board Seeks Stay in Trump Defamation Case Citing Presidential Duties

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pulitzer Prize board has requested a judge to pause a defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump, citing his own legal arguments about the demands of presidential duties. The motion, filed Monday, seeks to delay the case until Trump’s presidency concludes.

Trump sued the Pulitzer Board in 2022 after it reaffirmed its decision to award the 2018 national reporting prize to The Washington Post and The New York Times. The award recognized their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and alleged connections to the Trump campaign.

In its motion, the Pulitzer Board referenced Trump’s previous requests for stays in other civil lawsuits during his presidency. Trump had argued that such cases should be halted while he is in office, citing constitutional concerns about state courts exercising jurisdiction over a sitting president. The board noted that Trump’s legal team recently sought a stay in a separate case involving investors in his social media company, arguing that the president should focus on national issues rather than litigation.

“Specifically, in his first term, Plaintiff argued that if a case pending against him in New York state court was not temporarily stayed, it would disrupt and impair his ability to discharge his Article II responsibilities,” the Pulitzer Board’s motion stated. The board also emphasized that the case involves Trump’s official actions during his first term, making a stay beneficial to the presidency.

Trump has long demanded that the Pulitzer Board rescind the 2018 prize, claiming exoneration by special counsel Robert Mueller‘s report. While the report did not establish conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, it also did not fully clear Trump of wrongdoing. In response to Trump’s demands, the Pulitzer Board conducted two independent reviews of the awards and stood by its decision in a 2022 statement, which Trump cited as the basis for his defamation suit.

The Pulitzer Board’s motion underscores the ongoing legal battles surrounding Trump’s presidency and his efforts to challenge media narratives about his administration. The case was filed in Florida, where one board member resides, adding another layer to the jurisdictional complexities of the lawsuit.