President Trump vows to rewrite US libel law

Trump said the laws would be changed so that "when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts."
President Donald Trump | AP
President Donald Trump | AP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to rewrite US libel law, after a book portrayed him in scathing terms as out of his depth in the White House.

"We are going to take a strong look at our country's libel laws," Trump said after a meeting of his cabinet on his first year in office and plans for the year ahead.

Trump said the laws would be changed so that "when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts."

"Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values," he said, renewing a long-held desire for curbs against what is written about him.

Trump's statements, in the context of a meeting with ministers about his agenda, are likely to raise concerns about curbs on free speech.

Trump has been infuriated by the publication of "Fire and Fury," a salacious tell-all book by author Michael Wolff about the inner workings of the White House.

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