US judge dismisses porn star's case

President Donald Trump scored a legal victory Monday against porn star Stormy Daniels when a federal US judge rejected her defamation suit against him.

Daniels -- whose real name is Stephanie Clifford -- still has a separate lawsuit against the president linked to $130,000 in hush money she was paid by Trump's lawyer shortly before the November 2016 presidential election to keep quiet about an alleged affair.

US District Judge S James Otero in Los Angeles tossed out the defamation suit Daniels filed earlier this year after Trump claimed on Twitter that the adult film actress had invented threats to silence her over her claims the pair slept together more than a decade ago.

"The Court agrees with Mr Trump's argument because the tweet in question constitutes 'rhetorical hyperbole' normally associated with politics and public discourse in the United States," Otero wrote in his ruling.

Otero ruled that the billionaire Trump is entitled to have his lawyers' fees paid as part of the ruling. The amount will be determined later.

Daniels sued after Trump tweeted in April about her release of a sketch of a man she said warned her in a Las Vegas parking lot not to talk about their tryst.

"A sketch years later about a nonexistent man," Trump tweeted. "A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it!)," Trump tweeted.