Trump’s 'frivolous' $100m DOJ lawsuit draws scathing responses: 'Pathetic attempt at being relevant'
On Monday morning, August 12, the news broke that former President Donald Trump is planning to sue the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for $100 million for the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago that year looking for classified government documents that Trump, according to special counsel Jack Smith, had no business keeping after completing his presidency and leaving the White House in January 2021. Smith brought federal charges against Trump in 2023, but in July, Judge Aileen Cannon — the Trump appointee assigned to the case — dismissed the charges. The special counsel is appealing Cannon's decision.
Daniel Epstein, one of Trump's attorneys, announced the lawsuit and told Fox Business' Lydia Hu, "What President Trump is doing here is not just standing up for himself — he is standing up for all Americans who believe in the rule of law and believe that you should hold the government accountable when it wrongs you."
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MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin weighed in on the lawsuit, telling host Ana Cabrera, "Trump is letting the Department of Justice know that he intends to sue under a law called the Federal Tort Claims Act. That's where the federal government says: You can sue us, and we'll waive our immunity under certain circumstances — but only if certain conditions are fulfilled. And one of those conditions is you have to give the agency an opportunity to respond."
Rubin continued, "Short answer: Trump won't be able to file suit, I expect, for another six months."
When Cabrera asked Rubin if this lawsuit could have any impact on Smith's appeal of Cannon's decision to dismiss the case, she responded, "Technically, no. The case dismissed by Judge Cannon last month was dismissed on totally separate grounds — that is, whether Jack Smith, under the Constitution, had authority to bring the suit in the first place as the special counsel…. But politically, could this muddy the water?.... Absolutely."
The lawsuit is also receiving a lot of responses on X, formerly Twitter.
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Retired Domestic Violence Unit detective Jocelynn Kountze commented, "Maybe had he returned the documents this wouldn't have happened. He is his worse enemy!"
Author Carl Allen wrote, "Attempting to control the news cycle. Way to take the bait, suckers.
NewBlueUSA's Marty Taylor commented, "Convicted felon seeks to sue DOJ for legally raiding Mar A Lago."
Trump critic Nancy Ann Merwin tweeted, "Pathetic attempt at being relevant. Trump wants back in the news cycle, suing DOJ will sling red meat to his ignorant and uneducated remaining followers, it’s another frivolous, stupid lawsuit that will go nowhere."
Alexander Mahoun posted, "So the s******d that wants to be head of the government is suing that same government. Make it make sense."
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Watch MSNBC's full interview with Lisa Rubin below or at this link.
