U.S. President Donald Trump announced on September 15 that he is filing a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of defamation and libel.
The suit, filed in Florida, alleges that the Times has “freely lied, smeared, and defamed” him over a period of years.
Trump claims the Times acted as a “mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party” and accuses it of publishing false reports about his family, business, and political movement (MAGA).
The lawsuit also targets four Times journalists and Penguin Random House, publisher of a book critical of Trump.
The Times recently reported on a controversial birthday note allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein, which Trump denies writing. In July, Trump sued The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion over an article about his ties to Epstein.
That same month, Paramount settled with Trump for $16 million over a 60 Minutes segment he claimed was deceptively edited to favor Kamala Harris.
The New York Times responded, calling the lawsuit “an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting,” and stated it lacks legitimate legal claims.
This legal battle could have major implications for press freedom and political accountability.
