Judge tosses Stormy Daniels’ defamation case

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit by Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, against President Donald Trump, saying the president’s speech constituted “‘rhetorical hyperbole’ against a political adversary,” and it would “hamper the office of the President” to label it defamation. Clifford sued Trump in April for a tweet in which he suggested she was lying about having an affair with him. She had released a sketch of a man she said threatened her not to reveal the alleged affair. The president called it “a total con job” and compared the sketch to a photo of Clifford’s husband. U.S. District Judge S. James Otero said Trump’s statements were protected speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Clifford’s lawsuit called the tweet false and defamatory and said she had been “exposed to death threats and other threats of physical violence.” Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said he would appeal the decision.

Clifford’s other lawsuit against Trump to end a $130,000 nondisclosure agreement is ongoing, though the president and his lawyer have already said the deal is invalid and the lawsuit is pointless.

In a tweet Tuesday that also mocked Clifford’s looks, Trump said he wanted to “go after” Clifford and Avenatti, saying, “She knows nothing about me, a total con!”