Trump Attacks Times Coverage in Two Late-Night Posts

Trump posted two angry messages about New York Times coverage in the early hours of Wednesday, November 11. One challenged the newspaper’s account of his call to a C-SPAN program; the other addressed a sexual harassment settlement involving a waitress at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey.

At 1:25 a.m., Trump said the C-SPAN call had been arranged in advance by White House communications staff at the broadcaster’s request. The Times story had described the call as apparently unannounced. Trump accused the paper of getting that detail wrong and of trying to demean him.

At 1:47 a.m., he objected to coverage of former personal lawyer Alina Habba Mildon, who faces possible professional discipline following a New Jersey ethics investigation. A complaint alleges she persuaded a 21-year-old waitress to drop her lawyer and accept $15,000 in a settlement with the golf club after the waitress accused a manager of sexual harassment. It also alleges Habba’s office prepared a nondisclosure agreement, although state law bars such agreements in workplace harassment cases.

Trump said the settlement did not involve him. The complaint concerns an agreement at his club, where Habba was a member. The investigation could result in discipline affecting her law license.

The earlier Times story described Trump’s conduct after Republican midterm losses, including his election-fraud claims, a suggestion that UFC president Dana White become White House press secretary, and the removal of chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump disputed the account of the C-SPAN call but did not address those other points in the posts described.

Trump Attacks Coverage as Ethics Complaint Raises Questions About His Club

President Donald Trump’s late-night attacks on New York Times coverage did not erase the central issue: a New Jersey ethics complaint alleges his former lawyer, Alina Habba Mildon, steered a young waitress toward a settlement favorable to the club Trump owns.

The complaint says the waitress, then 21, had charged a club manager with sexual harassment. It alleges Habba persuaded her to drop her lawyer and accept $15,000, and that Habba’s office prepared a nondisclosure agreement despite a state law barring such agreements in workplace harassment cases. Habba faces possible professional discipline that could affect her law license.

At 1:47 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, Trump objected to the coverage and stressed that he was not personally involved in the settlement. His post did not address the allegations about how the agreement was negotiated or the club’s role.

Earlier, Trump disputed a separate account of his call to a C-SPAN program, saying it had been scheduled by White House communications staff at the network’s request. The Times story also described his conduct after Republican midterm losses, including election-fraud claims and the removal of chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump’s posts focused on what he said the paper had gotten wrong, while the ethics complaint now puts Habba’s handling of the settlement at issue.

Trump Pushes Back on Times Stories, Says Golf Club Settlement Was Not His

President Donald Trump pushed back against what he called misleading New York Times coverage, including a story about a settlement at his Bedminster golf club. His message was clear: the agreement was not his, and the paper’s account of a separate C-SPAN call was wrong.

At 1:47 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, Trump objected to a story about former personal lawyer Alina Habba Mildon. He said the settlement involved a waitress and the club, not him. A New Jersey ethics complaint alleges Habba persuaded the 21-year-old to drop her lawyer and take $15,000 after she accused a manager of sexual harassment. It also says Habba’s office prepared a nondisclosure agreement despite state law prohibiting such agreements in workplace harassment cases.

Habba faces possible professional discipline that could affect her law license. The allegations concern how the settlement was handled; Trump’s post emphasized that he was not personally involved.

About 20 minutes earlier, Trump said his call to a C-SPAN program had been scheduled through White House communications staff at the network’s request, contradicting the Times account that it was apparently unannounced. The newspaper’s other story catalogued his actions after Republican midterm losses, including election-fraud claims and the removal of chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump’s objections centered on the details he said were false.