Within hours of the release of the shocking New York Times article about two women who claimed Donald Trump touched them inappropriately, the GOP nominee's law firm, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, & Friedman LLP, sent on Wednesday a formal email to the Times that called the article libelous. The email also demanded a retraction of the article and a formal apology from the Times.
The New York Times responded on Thursday: "We decline to do so." The paper called Trump's indiscretions and sexual assault accusations "an issue of national importance," calling attention to the fact that Trump himself has addressed the issue in press conferences in front of the nation.
In their Thursday morning letter, Trump's lawyers wrote: "Your article is reckless, defamatory and constitutes libel per se," and called the article "nothing more than a politically-motivated effort to defeat Mr. Trump's candidacy."
The Times' response was nothing short of glorious:
The New York Times replies to Trump's threat. Insert fire emoji here. pic.twitter.com/5BE71kgzt1
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) Oct. 13, 2016
"Nothing in our article has had the slightest effect on the reputation that Mr. Trump, through his own words and actions, has already created for himself," reads The New York Times response to the libel accusations.
The original letter calling for retraction was posted online via tweet:
Here it is: The suicide note. pic.twitter.com/krXCh9WXyM
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) Oct. 13, 2016
The New York Times article, "Two Women Say Donald Trump Touched Them Inappropriately," detailed the accounts of Jessica Leeds, who accused Trump of touching her inappropriately on an airplane, and Rachel Crooks, who alleged the Republican presidential nominee kissed her on the mouth against her will.
The Times article was released about the same time that other women came forward with sexual allegations against Trump, including People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff.
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