President Donald Trump faces a high-stakes discovery battle in a Florida defamation case he initiated, as attorneys for the Pulitzer Prize Board move to compel production of his medical and psychiatric records, along with financial and tax documents, arguing the materials are relevant to claims of reputational harm and damages.
The dispute arises from Trump's December 2022 lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board and 19 current and former board members, filed in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Okeechobee County, Florida. Trump alleges defamation stemming from the board's July 2022 public statement defending its 2018 National Reporting awards to The New York Times and The Washington Post for coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Court filings show that on Dec. 11, 2025, the defendants served a First Set of Requests for Production of Documents seeking, among other items, records relating to Trump's "medical and/or psychological health" dating from Jan. 1, 2015, to the present. The requests include documentation of physical examinations, psychiatric or psychological evaluations, and prescription medications, according to the filing.
Under Florida civil procedure, discovery may encompass materials "reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence," subject to privilege and proportionality. The Pulitzer Board's attorneys contend the requested records bear on Trump's allegations of reputational injury and any claimed emotional or psychological damages tied to the alleged defamation.
The filing also requires Trump to identify any documents withheld on grounds of privilege and to produce a privilege log detailing the basis for non-disclosure. Court records do not indicate that Trump has publicly released medical or psychiatric records in connection with the case, nor whether his legal team has sought a protective order or moved to quash the request.
At the center of the lawsuit is the Pulitzer Board's refusal to rescind the 2018 awards after a review process. Trump's verified complaint alleges the board's statement falsely conveyed that the awarded reporting was factually accurate and validated by subsequent investigations, thereby harming his reputation. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and declaratory relief and names individual board members in their personal capacities.
The litigation has cleared significant procedural hurdles. In a written opinion issued Feb. 12, 2025, Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal held that Trump had sufficiently established personal jurisdiction over the defendants, allowing the case to proceed in state court. The Florida Supreme Court later declined to intervene.
Trial-level records show that motions to dismiss and requests for stays based on Trump's status as president were denied. The presiding judge noted that Trump voluntarily initiated the action and is therefore subject to ordinary litigation obligations, including discovery.
