1964 Revisited

The Washington Post had better get its checkbook out and ready for this vicious attempt to smear Trump. In 1964 negative establishment media attention to the Goldwater GOP presidential campaign reached a new low with the publication of a libelous article by pornographer Ralph Ginzburg’s Fact Magazine in which the publication claimed to have sent questionnaires to 12,000 psychologists asking them to assess whether or not Goldwater “was psychologically fit to serve as president of the United States.” Among the 1,800 replies, there were claimed to be assessments by some psychologists classifying Goldwater as unfit for office. Senator Goldwater was eventually compensated $75,000 in punitive damages in a libel suit after the election. The case established the Goldwater Rule for psychiatrists. Trump has already spoken about his desire to change libel laws concerning such reporters.

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