What You Need to Know
• President Donald Trump’s legal team is threatening to sue the Center for American Progress for defamation.
• Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, demands a retraction and apology by 5 p.m. Friday or face a $5 billion lawsuit.
• The Center for American Progress report concluded that National Guard deployments did not reduce violent crime rates.
President Donald Trump’s legal team is threatening to file a defamation lawsuit against the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, over a report issued in July that stated there was “no evidence that National Guard deployments have reduced violent crime.” In a letter dated August 17, Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, claimed the report contained false statements damaging to the president and set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday for the organization to retract the report, apologize, and provide compensation. Failure to comply could lead to a lawsuit seeking at least $5 billion in damages. The report analyzed crime data and found that National Guard deployments had no measurable impact on violent crime, homicides, or gun victimizations in the affected areas.
Why It Matters
This situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and organizations that critique its policies. The Center for American Progress has defended its findings, emphasizing the importance of free speech and the First Amendment. The National Guard was first deployed to Los Angeles in June 2025 to assist federal immigration officials during protests, with further deployments announced in Washington, D.C., Memphis, and New Orleans. The FBI reported a nationwide decline in violent crime rates in 2025, adding context to the Center for American Progress’s conclusions.
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