Trump lawyer to liberal think tank: Retract National Guard report that defames president
Administration News — 2026-08-21 11:59:00 — thehill.com
President Trump Threatens $5 Billion Lawsuit Over Critical National Guard Report
President Trump has demanded that the Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank, retract a report critical of his National Guard deployments. According to a nine-page letter sent by Trump’s personal attorney and reviewed by The Hill, Trump threatened to file a $5 billion defamation suit if CAP does not comply by Friday evening. In the letter, Trump claimed that CAP “manufactured” the report’s findings.
Trump’s aggressive response centers on his assertion that the think tank’s report was not only inaccurate but deliberately fabricated to harm his reputation. The demand for a retraction and the threat of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit underscore Trump’s willingness to use legal threats to counteract criticism and negative coverage.
The dispute highlights Trump’s ongoing pattern of attacking critics and challenging reports that cast his actions in a negative light. By characterizing the CAP report as “manufactured,” Trump is directly accusing the organization of dishonesty, a claim that raises questions about the accuracy of his own statements and the evidence supporting his position.
This episode is the latest example of Trump’s confrontational approach to negative press and analysis. His threat of a massive defamation suit, paired with claims that a critical report was fabricated, reflects a broader strategy of attempting to silence dissent and reshape the narrative around his actions.
As the deadline for CAP’s response approaches, the situation underscores the high stakes and contentious atmosphere surrounding Trump’s public statements and legal maneuvers. Readers should note Trump’s history of making sweeping claims against critics, often without providing substantiating evidence, as part of his broader effort to control the public conversation about his record.