Center For American Progress Defies Trump's $5 Billion Lawsuit Threat
CAP's analysis found Trump's National Guard deployments produced no drop in violent crime, and it refused to retract on August 21.
- CAP's analysis found National Guard deployments in cities did not measurably reduce violent crime.
- Trump's lawyers demanded retraction or threatened a $5 billion defamation lawsuit against CAP.
- CAP President Neera Tanden called the threat baseless, citing First Amendment protection, August 21, 2026.
Why it matters: Threatening to sue over unfavorable findings tests whether research survives power, not whether the findings are false.
Center for American Progress official press statement (Neera Tanden) ↗ · Aug 25, 20268/25/26