Tampa, Florida - A federal judge recently tossed out a massive $3.8 billion lawsuit brought on by President Donald Trump's social media company against the Washington Post.
According to The Post, US District Judge Thomas Barber granted the outlet's motion for summary judgment and denied one from Trump Media and Technology Group.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023 and centered around an article from The Post that analyzed Trump Media's effort to obtain financing ahead of a merger to take the company public.
In their complaint, attorneys for Trump Media accused the Post of waging a "years-long crusade" that culminated in an "egregious hit piece."
In defamation cases, plaintiffs must provide evidence that the defendant acted maliciously or else recklessly disregarded the truth, a bar that Trump Media was unable to meet.
In a summary docket entry, Judge Barber explained that Trump Media "failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence" that the Post "published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice."
Judge Barber noted he will soon provide a full opinion on the case.
In a statement, The Post said, "We are pleased with the court's decision and look forward to reviewing its written order upon release."
Notably, the outlet did attach a correction to the original article after discovery in the case concluded, which noted, "Trump Media didn't pay a loan referral fee of $240,000, as was stated in the article."
In a statement, Trump Media said that The Washington Post "finally admitted its harmful story was false" with the correction, and further vowed to "evaluate whether to appeal" the ruling.