Nah, he’s a public figure. Just like Bush couldn’t sue when they lied about him.
The difference is, the lies in this case can lead, if his ownership bid is denied, to a specific claim of financial harm.
Bullstalin. Just ask the National Enquirer about that logic.
Public figures can sue, they just have to prove much more than you do under common law slander or libel because of the First Amendment. They have to prove “actual malice”, which means knowledge of falsity or a reckless disregard for the truth.