Your Turn: Does America Need Tougher Libel Laws?

What’s the story?

During a public portion of a cabinet meeting in the White House, President Donald Trump said:

"We are going to take a strong look at our country’s libel laws, so that when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts."

The president added:

"Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values or American fairness."

Trump’s remarks came a day after his personal lawyer filed a defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed News. And last week, another Trump lawyer sent an 11-page cease-and-desist letter to the publisher of Michael Wolff’s book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

What do you think?

Do you agree with the president? Are American libel laws "a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values"? Would you like to see tougher laws? Would you welcome having a more “meaningful recourse in our courts”?

Use your (for now) free speech rights and let us – and your lawmakers - know. We’ll feature some of your comments in an upcoming article.

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—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: DNY59 / iStock)