Page 23 - Gawker

THE WINNER

“The clearest winner in the Hogan case

has been Charles Harder, who has

become the de-facto general counsel
for the Trump backlash against the press. On behalf of Melania

Trump, Harder filed a libel suit in Maryland against the

American Web site of London’s Daily Mail, which reported that

she had once worked as an escort. (The Mail withdrew the story,

but the case is still pending.) Again, on behalf of Melania Trump,

Harder demanded the withdrawal of a YouTube video asserting

that her son Barron Trump was autistic. (The creator took down

the video and apologized.” (14)

President Trump also “considers himself something of a one-

man press baron, by virtue of his millions of Twitter followers –

a situation he compares to owning a newspaper without the

losses. His contempt for the press……..is an almost hysterical

expression of his hatred of criticism – a lèse-majesté”(4)