Trump demands retraction from O'Donnell.

[Grasswire2]

[link:http://

Link to tweet

?s=20|

[Grasswire2]

1. good tweet response from Jeff Stein

[link:http://

Link to tweet

?s=20|

[Gothmog]

3. I would love to see trump attempt to sue on this

[hlthe2b]

5. Fine. Brings more attention to both Lawrence & the story and O'Donnell has already legally prevailed

against Trump in a lawsuit dating back several years.

[onenote]

43. O'Donnell just walked back his story.

[MFM008]

57. He said

He would address it tonight.

[onenote]

58. He said

he shouldn't have reported it.

[MFM008]

66. He just did.

I think it will prove out eventually.

[FBaggins]

52. Stein may not have read the whole thing

A public figure absolutely can sue for defamation if he can show actual malice.

Their letter claims that publicly available documentation (likely filings related to the loan) clearly disprove the claim. It's a stretch for them to claim that this makes actual malice easy to prove... but the letter was far more than deflection (and thus received an immediate response).

[Perseus]

54. Lawrence did it very well, many times he emphasized "IF TRUE"

Lawrence is no idiot, unlike the creature.

I cannot believe there are lawyers working for this conman, most of them never get paid the full amount, why would anyone want to do business with a person who everyone knows is a crook? I would think that it is an automatic damage to ones reputation.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Prove he lied...

[JI7]

4. LOD has many times brought up how trump threatens to sue others

for things all the time.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Time to show your cards, Donald.

Or tax returns, more specifically.

We're calling it.

[greymattermom]

7. Discovery will be interesting.

Could this finally force release of tax returns and financial documents? Maybe that's what Lawrence had in mind.

[Grasswire2]

10. that's what I've been thinking.....

Chess from O'Donnell.

[nolabear]

22. You betcha! Lawrence must be loving this!

“Bring it, Spanky.”

[C_U_L8R]

8. The criminal assclown could've just named his co-signers

but no, we have to go through all this huffy puffery bullshit.

[Xolodno]

40. His ego wont let him.

He doesn't anyone want to know that he needs co-signers. Much less the Russian mob kind....

[CincyDem]

9. The discovery will be priceless. n/t

[dhill926]

16. Yup...

[calguy]

11. Trump could clear this all up in an instant by releasing the documents

I'm betting he won't.

[NewJeffCT]

12. Renato Marriotti's take

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Bernardo de La Paz]

34. If tRump offers proof on a loan or 2, we need discovery to see ratio cosigned/single-signed

So there needs to be a complete inventory of his loans in discovery.

(my uneducated take)

[Pantagruel]

13. Unanswered Demand letters

are usually followed up with a lawsuit. Guaranteed this one won't.

[ooky]

14. Should make for an interesting show tonight.

I always love a good Trump bashing by Lawrence O'Donnell. He has the best Trump bashings.

[RainCaster]

15. Boohoohoo... where's the beef, Donald?

[aaaaaa5a]

17. This sounds to me like it's time for discovery. Nt

[hedda_foil]

29. It does, doesn't it!

[lunatica]

18. Is this part of that re-election strategy where Trump's people go after the media?

Their plans, which I read somewhere just in the last few days, are to discredit individual media personalities and outlets.

That’s what it looks like to me. If Trump does something official, like go to court and sue someone who has a solid following for some sort of slander it creates a backlash wave from his rabid base and ties the person or outlet up in court.

This is all old tactics for Trump.

[ancianita]

48. I think they're ready to run interference for the Democratic candidates, and Trump getting riled at

them will give the candidates -- and the Impeachers -- breathing room to appeal to The People as the deciders.

Trump's claim of defamation will need evidence, his loan papers.

He won't pursue O'Donnell.

Besides, everyone knows that O'Donnell wasn't claiming to tell a fact. He was just speculating.

Speculating isn't lying.

O'Donnell and Maddow can go on with their badass selves.

They just better watch their backs, because with dictators, "accidents happen."

[JaneQPublic]

19. From the title, I assumed ROSIE O'Donnell.

And I thought, "Oh, hell. Not a chance!

[maddiemom]

55. My immediate thought, as well! It took me a second...

[Wellstone ruled]

20. Looking like Dumb Donnie better check his

previous legal language he agreed to when he sued O'Donnell years ago and lost big time.

That would open all those Depositions up to the Public and like O'Donnell has claimed,Trump lied his ass off during those Depo's.

[wiggs]

21. Trump group not above planting false leads to discredit media. Ask Rather. nt

[underpants]

23. True. Nt

[exboyfil]

24. That would be my worry

I hope they already have documents proving this claim otherwise it will serve to immunize just like CBS mistake with the Killian memos.

[Duppers]

35. I remember this.

Typewriter crap.

[uponit7771]

60. +1

[Joe941]

64. This. The media needs to be careful and follow sound journalism...

TRump would love to take some down by dangling a carrot in front of them.

[wiggs]

65. Yes because Trump would consider it a total win instead of a low-handed, unethical tactic. nt

[moondust]

25. Easy to prove the story false.

Cough up the paperwork for public examination.

[brooklynite]

26. Still no supporting news reporting

[louis-t]

27. Tough shit.

[Thomas Hurt]

28. All the fascist pig has to do release all his Deutsche Bank loan paperwork...

prove none of them are signed by Russians....simple enough. Trump is vindicated and proves the liberals are meanies.

Won't happen though.

[Miles Archer]

30. Lawrence repeatedly said "one source" and "if it's true" in that segment.

It's not "defamation," it's the truth. One source made the claims, O'Donnell reported it as such, and discussed the ramifications "if it's true."

It only raises speculation over what Trump's trying to hide, but the claims from the "source" certainly sound credible, and "if true," explain a lot...just as Lawrence said last night.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. 1,000x THIS

[Paladin]

46. Exactly so. MSNBC needs to get off O'Donnell's back.

And if trump is so fucking upset about this matter, let him reveal his financials to confirm O'Donnell's error. That's about as likely to happen as trump becoming a decent human being.


I'm sticking with Lawrence on this one.

[matt819]

31. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

After I saw this last night on DU, I looked to see if anyone picked it up. As of this morning, I hadn't seen it anywhere.

Well, given this latest legal threat, I guess we'll see the story on the front pages everywhere pretty soon.

Not a lawyer, but false and defamatory seems redundant. If it's false, it's defamatory. One problem. It probably ain't false, and I'm betting that LO'D qualified his assertion to protect himself.

Easy for buffoon-in-chief to prove O'Donnell wrong. In contrast, O'Donnell, and news outlets in general, are one source away from confirming the assertion. I'm guessing that reporters have been looking for this for years now. And now that they have O'Donnell's claim and a possible road map to confirmation, it may very well be on a matter of time. The sooner, the better, of course.

Next step: Investigate Justice Kennedy and his son. They may very well be in this up to their necks. (But maybe not. See what I did? Not defamatory. Asking for a friend.)

[Ilsa]

32. How is this any different from MF45 saying, "Some people

say..." or any other qualification on the rumors he starts? Trump does this shit all the time with Democrats.

[Evolve Dammit]

33. Good job Lawrence! Discovery should be riveting. In your court Donny. Go for it.

[sinkingfeeling]

37. Good. Let's see a copy of all the loan documents.

[TomVilmer]

38. Lawrence will retract the story

Last night I made an error in judgment by reporting an item about the president’s finances that didn’t go through our rigorous verification and standards process. I shouldn’t have reported it and I was wrong to discuss it on the air. I will address the issue on my show tonight.

Link to tweet

[Pepsidog]

39. How poetic if it turns out to be false. Tough luck Donnie, just like you brag about how you just

make up stuff like stats and figures, so can other people. Now I am sure O’Donnell’s reporting is correct but if it isn’t the last person on earth who should complain is snowflake Donnie. Show your tax returns and the loan documents like you tortured Obama about showing his birth certificate. Can take the heat Donnie Bed Bug.

[onenote]

44. I wouldn't be so sure O'Donnell's reporting is correct.

He's walking it back.

[Pepsidog]

41. Somebody better explain defamation law and lawsuits to these clowns.

[ancianita]

45. O'Donnell knew what he was doing. Baiting this scofflaw.Speculation isn't lying.MF45 can go suck it.

[Mersky]

47. I'm not removing my recommendation from this thread, because...

There are salient points to consider against the latest news that Lawrence O'Donnell has backtracked some on the claim.

Too, this is part of the experiential timeline of this breaking, shifting story.

Here's the DU links to newer threads with Lawrence's statement on Twitter:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212417196

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212417309

[Yavin4]

49. No better confirmation of the truth of a story

than a threatened lawsuit from Trump.

[ElementaryPenguin]

50. Exactly!

[pamdb]

51. O'Donnell

I hate to say it but O'Donnell is a lawyer, he should have known better. Apologize, and get it over with.

[Kid Berwyn]

53. LOL

Get bent, Donnie.

[throwthe_shoe]

56. if it's NOT true why is trump so pissed off?

he would have nothing to hide......simple diagnosis

[smirkymonkey]

59. "Bedbugs!"

"No Bedbugs!"

That's turning out well for him.

[Joe941]

61. O'Donnel was set up.

Yah he took the bait, but this whole thing was a trap set up to get o'Donnell

[triron]

62. Trump's guys got to corporate who in turn got to O'Donnell.

So Lawrence takes the fall for MSNBC. MSNBC should have supported Lawrence more strongly.

[Joe941]

63. MSNBC threw him under the bus.