President Trump’s personal attorney threatened a $5 billion defamation lawsuit against the Center for American Progress on Thursday over a report finding that the administration’s National Guard deployments in U.S. cities have failed to reduce violent crime. The nine-page letter, reviewed by The Hill, set a 5 p.m. EDT Friday deadline for the think tank to retract the analysis, apologize, and compensate Trump—or face legal action.
The report, published in July, analyzed Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis, and New Orleans. CAP’s research found “no evidence” that the deployments reduced violent crime, despite Trump’s repeated claims about their effectiveness.
Attorney Alejandro Brito argued in the letter that CAP “manufactured” false claims and “defamed President Trump by distorting a contested empirical question into a sensational, false, malicious and defamatory accusation.” He claimed Trump never knowingly lied to the American people about the deployments’ impact.
CAP stands by its analysis. The think tank’s report showed that violent crime was already declining in major American cities before Trump took office in 2025, and the National Guard presence did not accelerate those trends. If the deployments continue through the end of 2026, CAP estimated taxpayers could spend more than $1.7 billion on the initiative.
CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden issued a statement calling the lawsuit threat “baseless.” She said the organization is “an independent, nonpartisan research organization” grounded in “rigorous, evidence-based research and analysis.” Tanden added that the threatened suit “is a transparent attempt to silence us” and that CAP will “neither cower nor bend in the face of it.”
Trump has a long history of filing defamation lawsuits. According to media analysis, he has filed more than 30 defamation suits against news organizations and journalists since the 1980s but has never won one in court. His legal threats typically demand 10-figure sums, though some have prompted settlements. In 2024, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump, agreeing to donate $15 million to his presidential library and issue an apology.
The Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops to multiple cities as part of what it calls law-and-order initiatives. Los Angeles received 4,200 troops in June 2025, while Washington D.C. has had roughly 5,000 troops since August 2025. Trump has also threatened to send the National Guard to New York City, Baltimore, San Francisco, and other cities.
The lawsuit threat escalates a dispute that began when Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this month, calling CAP’s report “another Radical Left SCAM” and threatening legal action. The formal letter from his attorney now sets specific terms and a deadline, signaling Trump intends to pursue the matter further if CAP does not comply.
Sources
- The Hill — Trump’s attorney’s nine-page letter threatening $5 billion lawsuit, Friday deadline, and details of the legal threat
- Center for American Progress — CAP’s report on National Guard deployments costing $1.7 billion with no measurable crime reduction, and CEO Neera Tanden’s statement defending the research
- Media analysis — Trump’s history of filing 30+ defamation lawsuits since the 1980s without winning in court
