- Trump announced a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing it of spreading lies about him, his family, and the MAGA movement.
- Trump claims the paper has acted as a Democratic Party mouthpiece and highlighted its past endorsements, including for Kamala Harris.
- The lawsuit, to be filed in Florida, follows earlier settlements Trump reached with Paramount Global and ABC over defamation claims.
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to file a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of repeatedly misrepresenting him, his family, and his political movement.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the Times has “engaged in a decades-long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole.” He also accused the paper of acting as “a mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party.
Though the lawsuit demands $15 billion in damages, that sum exceeds the current market capitalization of The New York Times Company, which is roughly $9.65 billion. Trump did not cite specific articles or incidents in his announcement, but he pointed to what he called the Times’ history of endorsing rivals — including its support of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election — as part of the broader pattern of alleged bias.
The legal action is to be filed in Florida. The New York Times has not yet responded to requests for comment outside normal business hours.
This lawsuit follows earlier legal challenges brought by Trump against media organizations. In July, he settled with Paramount Global over allegations involving a “60 Minutes” interview, and in December, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC agreed to pay $15 million toward a future foundation or museum associated with Trump after settling a defamation claim. In his post, Trump asserted that these previous settlements underscore what he describes as a long-term pattern of defamation, which he says is “unacceptable and illegal.”
“The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!” he wrote.