Civil Action Podcast

Trump’s $10 Billion Epstein Lawsuit Threat

Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian expose Donald Trump’s latest legal intimidation campaign, threatening a $10 billion lawsuit against The New York Times over their reporting on Jeffrey Epstein documents showing Trump’s alleged signature on a lewd birthday note. They break down how Trump’s “powerhouse lawyer” Alejandro Brito—a solo practitioner from Coral Gables—is firing off threatening letters claiming the reporting is “unpatriotic,” revealing Trump’s fundamental misunderstanding of the First Amendment. The hosts explain how Trump would have to prove not just that the signature is fake, but that the Times knew it was false—an almost impossible standard for defamation. This latest legal tantrum follows Trump’s already-filed $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over similar Epstein reporting, showing how the “litigator in chief” uses frivolous lawsuit threats to silence media criticism.