Trump, angry over critical book, says he'll seek tighter libel laws
WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump, still stewing from the release last week of a scathing book about his first year in office, renewed his call to alter libel laws on Wednesday, saying his administration would take a "a very, very strong look" at them.
The trouble for Trump: It is not law but a landmark Supreme Court ruling that set a high constitutional bar for public figures to claim libel.
"Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values or American fairness," he told reporters during a lengthy introduction to a Cabinet meeting.
"You can't say things that are false, knowingly false, and be able to smile as money pours into your bank account," Trump said.
The book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," has drawn huge sales and publicity, despite concerns over many of its details, in part driven by Trump's unsuccessful effort to block its publication. It depicts Trump as incompetent, incurious and unstable and asserts that his staff has little confidence in his ability to govern.
_Tribune Washington Bureau
