Donald Trump has filed a Trump defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, seeking at least $15 billion in damages. The US president’s legal action comes after the Times published articles about a crude birthday note given to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denies authoring the note, which reportedly bore his signature and a lewd drawing.
Donald Trump provided no evidence for his claims against the New York Times. Photograph: dts News Agency Germany/Rex/Shutterstock
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the NYT “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country.” He accused it of being a “mouthpiece” for the Democratic party. The lawsuit, filed in a Florida district court, names several articles and a book by two of the publication’s journalists, alleging they were part of a “decades long method of lying” about him and his business.
The Details of the Trump Defamation Lawsuit
The complaint claims the Times betrayed its journalistic ideals of honesty and accuracy. It accuses the paper of publishing “repugnant distortions and fabrications” to damage the president’s “worldwide reputation for success” and interfere with the 2024 election. The suit also cites the Times’ decision to endorse his opponent, Kamala Harris, which Trump called an “illegal Campaign contribution.”
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A spokesperson for the New York Times issued a strong response, saying the lawsuit “has no merit.” The publication stated that it “will not be deterred by intimidation tactics” and will continue to pursue facts without fear. The case against the Times is the latest in a series of multibillion-dollar lawsuits Trump has filed against major US media outlets since his return to the White House. He previously sued the Wall Street Journal, and other lawsuits against ABC News and Paramount were settled for $15 million and $16 million, respectively. The case against the Wall Street Journal is ongoing. For more information on Trump’s legal actions against media outlets, you can read this article from Al Jazeera.
The lawsuit against the Times is based on reporting from a book, Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, written by reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner. It is also not Trump’s first legal action against the Times. He previously sued the paper over a story about his family’s wealth and tax arrangements, a case a New York judge dismissed in 2023. This Trump defamation lawsuit faces the high legal standard of “actual malice” required for a public figure to win a defamation case.
This video provides an analysis of why Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against the New York Times.
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