President Trump Files $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday, September 15, 2025, that he has filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House. The legal action, lodged in a Florida district court, alleges a long-standing pattern of malicious defamation and seeks substantial damages for harm to his reputation and business.

President Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, stated, "Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times," further accusing the publication of being "one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party." He added, "The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!"

The lawsuit specifically cites a series of articles by The New York Times, including an editorial published before the 2024 presidential election that questioned his fitness for office, and a 2024 book titled "Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success." Trump's legal team claims these publications were "filled with repugnant distortions and fabrications" and have caused significant economic damage to his brand value and future financial prospects, including a "precipitous decline" in Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) stock.

This legal move follows earlier threats by Trump against The New York Times concerning its reporting on an allegedly sexually suggestive note and drawing given to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The President has denied authoring the note, stating he parted ways with Epstein before his legal troubles became public in 2006.

The action against The New York Times is the latest in a series of lawsuits President Trump has initiated against major media organizations during his second term. Earlier this year, he sued The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion over an article linking him to Epstein. In July, CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by Trump for $16 million, alleging deceptive editing of an interview with Kamala Harris on "60 Minutes." ABC News also reportedly settled a similar case for $15 million. The New York Times and Penguin Random House have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.