"Russia Hoax": Trump Says NYT, Washington Post Will Have To Return Pulitzers

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared victory against the "Russia Hoax" after a Florida court sided with him in a defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board relating to awards given to The New York Times and the Washington Post for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.

This came as a Florida state appellate court rejected the Pulitzer Prize Board's attempt to pause the 'Russia-gate' lawsuit until the Republican leader's current term in office concludes. The ruling came as the board failed to show any "constitutional conflicts" requiring a delay, according to Law & Crime.

What Trump Said

Hailing the ruling, Trump took to his Truth Social platform and said it was a "major win" in his effort to challenge "illegal and defamatory"  Pulitzer Prizes given to leading US publications for their "malicious stories on the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax." 

"BREAKING! In a major WIN in our powerful lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board regarding the illegal and defamatory 'Award' of their once highly respected 'Prize,' to fake, malicious stories on the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, by the Failing New York Times and the Washington Compost, the Florida Appellate Court viciously rejected the Defendants' corrupt attempt to halt the case," Trump wrote Wednesday.

The US President claimed The New York Times and the Washington Post won the prestigious awards for "totally incorrect reporting" about the alleged collusion between Trump associates and Russian agents in the 2016 presidential campaign.

"Now they admit it was a SCAM, never happened, and their reporting was totally wrong, in fact, the exact opposite of the TRUTH. They'll have to give back their "Award." They were awarded for false reporting, and we can't let that happen in the United States of America. We are holding the Fake News Media responsible for their LIES to the American People, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" he added.

Russia-Gate Lawsuit

Trump has named board members and administrative staff of Pulitzer (when the awards were given for the coverage in 2018) as defendants in the lawsuit filed in December 2022 in Okeechobee County, Florida. It asks the organisation to strip The New York Times and The Washington Post of the awards they received for their reporting on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential contest between Trump and Hillary Clinton. That coverage in question, published throughout 2017, shed light on alleged Russian links to people in the then-president's orbit, including former national security advisor Michael Flynn and Trump's adult son, Donald Trump Jr, among other aspects.