Murderer sues Trump over campaign ad

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, a Mexican national serving 39–102 years for murdering girlfriend Ruby Garcia in Grand Rapids, Michigan, sued President Donald Trump for $75 million, a public apology, and US citizenship over campaign ads featuring his mugshot.

Ortiz-Vite claimed Trump’s ads, which referred to him as 'America’s problem' alongside 'murderers, rapists and drug traffickers,' caused ridicule from prison staff and inmates and stripped him of dignity.

Ortiz-Vite entered the US illegally, received DACA protection (expired 2019), was deported after a 2020 DUI arrest, and later re-entered illegally.

Legal experts, including former federal prosecutor Matthew Borgula, said the suit is unlikely to succeed because Trump’s statements were substantially true and public embarrassment is not a constitutional violation.