President Donald Trump won a legal victory in his defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board, allowing the case to move to the discovery phase. Judge Robert L. Pegg rejected the board’s motion to protect their internal communications regarding the 2018 Pulitzer Prizes awarded to The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Trump’s lawsuit argues that the Pulitzer-winning coverage was based on a “demonstrably false connection” related to the alleged collusion with Russia. Trump’s attorney stated that the lawsuit aims to hold accountable those spreading “deception and fake news,” asserting that the awards should be rescinded.