Journalist Claims How Donald Trump Allegedly Tried Firing Him From LA Times: "He Paid $25M to Settle"

Journalist Claims How Donald Trump Allegedly Tried Firing Him From LA Times: "He Paid $25M to Settle"
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Chip Somodevilla

Former L.A. Times columnist, David Lazarus's, recent tweet on X, went viral when he claimed that after exposing the Trump University scam in 2016, former president, Donald Trump, tried to get him fired. "When I was among the first to question the Trump University scam, he tried to get me fired from the LA Times. He subsequently paid $25 million to settle the case," Lazarus wrote. The Republican leader sent a letter to the journalist's business editor complaining about the article and labeling the publication a 'tailspin'. However, netizens had hilarious reactions to the content of the letter. 



 

User @jksmith18 commented, "Badge of honor. I hope you framed his letter," to which Lazarus responded, "It hangs outside my cubicle." Chiming in, user @PrinzOPrinciple mocked, "This is the same man saying 'I made my money in real estate' who lied about being given over $100M from his slum lord father." @bayshoremary quipped that "I am worth many billions of dollars…" would always be a better 'correspondence opener' than “I hope this letter finds you well.” Meanwhile, others praised the journalist for exposing the scam. "It seems you shook things up when you called out that Trump University stuff! It’s awesome to see someone not afraid to speak their mind. Keep rocking it!" Another user opined, "The signature reads 'narcissist' even louder than the content."



 

The Trump University ran a real estate training program from 2005 to 2010. In his L.A. Times column, Lazarus recounted, that when he attended a TU event in 2007, which was held at a hotel in Pasadena, the free session turned out to be a two-hour sales presentation for a $1,495 three-day training. The journalist subsequently received emails from individuals who believed Trump University had defrauded them. Subsequently, he claimed he received a call from Trump, who asserted that the article was "libelous and inaccurate." When asked what was inaccurate, Trump allegedly replied, “You’ll find out in court." Thereafter, the ex-president got in touch with the editor and called Lazarus a third-rate reporter and a 'nasty guy'. 

Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Thos Robinson
Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Thos Robinson

During a GOP Debate in Detroit, Michigan in 2016, Fox News debate moderator, Megyn Kelly, engaged in a damaging exchange with Trump, accusing the billionaire of having 'fleeced' Trump University students. As per The Wrap, Kelly corrected Trump after he claimed that his university had received an 'A' rating from the Better Business Bureau.

“With respect, we went back and looked at this…the rating from the Better Business Bureau was a D.” Trump insisted, "It was elevated to an A.” Kelly, however, refused to back down and cited a class action lawsuit with 5,000 plaintiffs that included teachers, soldiers, and "so-called little guys" who claimed to have been duped. 

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