Judge Dismisses Trump Lawsuit Against Clinton as ‘Manifesto’

U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and several others on Friday, calling it a “political manifesto.”

Trump’s lawsuit alleged that Clinton and her allies “orchestrated a malicious conspiracy” to “weave a false narrative” of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. 

In his decision, Middlebrooks — who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton — said Trump was “not attempting to seek redress for any legal harm,” but instead was “seeking to flaunt a two-hundred-page political manifesto outlining his grievances against those that have opposed him.” The judge appeared to sharply criticize Trump’s arguments, writing, “It is not simply that I find the Amended Complaint ‘inadequate in any respect’; it is inadequate in nearly every respect.” Not only had Trump’s lawsuit exceeded the statute of limitations, Middlebrooks wrote, the statements addressed by Trump’s complaint were “plainly protected by the First Amendment.” Newsweek (Center bias) noted that Middlebrooks appeared to threaten Trump’s lawyers with legal sanctions for potentially presenting a case without supporting evidence.

Coverage was widespread across the spectrum on Friday but was often drowned out by coverage of Queen Elizabeth's death. Some coverage across the spectrum used sensational words like “stomps,” “trashes,” and “scathing.”