President Trump’s legal team is considering a defamation lawsuit against the Center for American Progress (CAP) over a report that claims National Guard deployments did not reduce violent crime. Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent a letter on August 17 demanding a retraction, apology, and compensation by Friday at 5 p.m., warning of potential legal action seeking at least $5 billion in damages.
Kevin Metz, attorney for CAP, defended the report in a letter, stating that “truth is not and cannot be defamation.” Metz emphasized the importance of free debate and dissent as central components of American democracy. Both letters became available to CBS News, which has reached out to Brito for further comment.
Neera Tanden, CAP President and CEO, stated that any attempt to silence their research contradicts First Amendment protections, allowing for facts and analysis to challenge political claims. “We will neither cower nor bend in the face of it,” she said.
The Trump administration initially deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June 2025 to protect federal immigration officials during protests. Later, deployments extended to Washington, D.C., Memphis and New Orleans. Trump’s actions aimed to tackle crime, described as addressing “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.” However, CAP’s report suggested these measures did not significantly impact crime rates.
The FBI reported a national decline in violent crime rates for 2025, contradicting the administration’s actions. Jessica Levinson, a legal contributor for CBS News and a law professor, explained Trump may face challenges in a lawsuit, given the public figure standard for defamation. “The official has to show that the defendant made the statement at issue with actual malice,” Levinson said, highlighting the difficulty in proving such a claim based on statistical disputes.
Trump has previously used lawsuits to confront those he views as opponents. Tanden further argued that public disagreements should be handled through open debate. “Efforts to silence independent research because its findings are unwelcome by an administration or president should alarm every American,” she concluded.