Donald Trump has branded the decision of a US federal judge to dismiss Stormy Daniels’ defamation case against him as “great”, saying he can “now go after Horseface”.
In the kind of unrestrained tweet which has come to define the president’s leadership – including the misspelling of Daniels’ name – the US president wrote on Tuesday: “‘Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.’
Tagging Fox News in the post, he continued: “Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed.
“She knows nothing about me, a total con!”
Daniels was quick to hit back with a rebuttal, accusing Trump of demonstrating his "incompetence, hatred of women and lack of self control on Twitter".
The exchange follows a failed defamation suit against Trump by adult film star Daniels – real name Stephanie Clifford – who claims to have had an affair with the 72-year-old then-business-tycoon in 2006.
Daniels filed the case after Trump tweeted that her claim a man had threatened her in 2011, for speaking about her alleged relationship with the president, was a “con job”, saying the man was “non-existent” and that she was playing the “fake news media for fools”.
But in an order handed down on Monday, a judge said Trump’s statement was protected under the First Amendment.
“If this Court were to prevent Mr Trump from engaging in this type of ‘rhetorical hyperbole’ against a political adversary, it would significantly hamper the office of the president,” the judge wrote.
The decision does not affect Daniels’ other lawsuit against the President, over hush money she claims to have been paid by Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen in the days leading up to the 2016 election.
Trump has denied any relationship with the actress.