- Donald Trump files $15B lawsuit against The New York Times over defamation
- Suit also targets Penguin Random House and four Times reporters
- Trump alleges the media outlet acts as a partisan tool for Democrats
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the publication of spreading falsehoods and acting as a “virtual mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party. Trump is seeking $15 billion in damages—an amount that exceeds the entire market capitalization of The New York Times Company.
The suit also targets Penguin Random House and four Times reporters, two of whom co-authored a book titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.”
Filed in a federal court in Tampa, Florida, the 85-page complaint often reads like a pro-Trump editorial, with pages of praise for the former president and references to other lawsuits he’s filed against media companies. Trump announced the lawsuit in a late-night Truth Social post, calling it a “great honor” and accusing The Times of defaming him, his family, and his businesses.
Trump also criticized The Times’ endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, though legal experts note that political endorsements are not grounds for defamation.
This legal action follows a pattern described by First Amendment scholars as an attempt to chill critical media coverage and suppress free speech. Under U.S. defamation law, public figures like Trump must prove “actual malice”—that the defendants knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Media observers suggest Trump’s lawsuit is more about generating publicity and intimidating the press than achieving courtroom victories. Previous lawsuits by Trump’s legal team against media outlets like ABC News and CBS News reportedly led to multimillion-dollar settlements, raising concerns among journalism advocates that such outcomes only encourage further legal threats.
Just hours before Trump revealed the lawsuit, New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned of growing global efforts by authoritarian-leaning leaders to weaponize civil courts against the press. Speaking at the 50th anniversary gala of Investigative Reporters & Editors in New York City, Sulzberger urged media organizations to “stand up for your journalism. Stand up for your journalists. Stand up for your rights.”
Meanwhile, Trump is also suing The Wall Street Journal over a story involving letters linked to Jeffrey Epstein. A spokesperson for the Journal’s parent company, Dow Jones, said they stand by their reporting and will “vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
The New York Times has not yet issued a formal response to Trump’s filing.
