Fact check: Have any former presidents been sued for libel after leaving office?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, yes, former presidents have been sued for libel after leaving office. The most prominent example is Donald Trump, who faces multiple defamation-related legal challenges as a former president.

The analyses reveal that Trump is currently dealing with an $83 million defamation judgment awarded to E. Jean Carroll ^[1]. Trump has appealed this judgment, with his lawyers arguing that presidential immunity should protect him from the defamation ruling ^[2]. However, judges have shown skepticism toward Trump's decision to invoke immunity after previously waiving it ^[3].

Additionally, the sources indicate that Trump faces defamation actions from women who have accused him of sexual assault ^[4], suggesting multiple libel-related cases involving the former president.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important historical context that emerges from the analyses:

• Presidential libel litigation is extremely rare historically - the analyses note that the last time a U.S. president sued a media outlet for libel and won was in 1913, when Teddy Roosevelt sued a small-town newspaper ^[5]
• Trump's unique litigation history - The analyses reveal that Trump has been both a plaintiff and defendant in libel cases. As president, he filed libel lawsuits, including one against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a story about Jeffrey Epstein ^{[6] [7]}
• The immunity question - A significant legal debate exists around whether presidential immunity extends to protect former presidents from defamation judgments for actions taken while in office ^{[2] [3]}

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, as it is posed as a neutral inquiry. However, the question's framing could benefit from additional specificity:

• The question doesn't distinguish between former presidents being sued versus former presidents filing libel suits
• It lacks temporal context about when these suits might have occurred (during presidency vs. after leaving office)
• The question doesn't address the unique legal complexities surrounding presidential immunity claims that make these cases particularly significant ^{[2] [3]}

The analyses suggest that Trump's case represents a novel legal territory, as his lawyers' immunity arguments and the judges' skeptical response indicate this may be unprecedented legal ground for former presidential libel cases ^[3].