Trump Initiates $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

Tue Sep 16 2025 11:37:31 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a bold move, US President Donald Trump announces plans to sue The New York Times for $15 billion, citing defamatory coverage and political bias. This marks another chapter in his ongoing disputes with media outlets.

US President Donald Trump has declared his intention to sue The New York Times for $15 billion, alleging defamation and libel. He criticizes the newspaper for endorsing Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, claiming it has become a voice for the radical left. This lawsuit follows previous unsuccessful attempts to challenge media coverage, and it is set to be filed in Florida.

US President Donald Trump has said he would sue the New York Times for $15 billion (£11bn) over what the US president calls defamation and libel.

The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW! Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday.

He singled out the Times' endorsement of Kamala Harris in the last presidential election in 2024, saying it had become a mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party. Trump added that his lawsuit was being launched in Florida, a Republican stronghold. The BBC has reached out to the newspaper for comment.

Trump has long expressed displeasure at left-leaning media outlets unfavorable to his presidency. In a post late on Monday, Trump took issue with the Times' endorsement of his political rival, stating: Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!

Additionally, he accused other media outlets of smearing him through a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to sue the New York Times. In 2023, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that Trump filed against the newspaper while he was an ex-president, citing constitutional law violations in the claims.

The $100 million (£79 million) lawsuit accused both the newspaper and Trump's estranged niece, Mary Trump, of orchestrating an insidious plot to obtain his tax records, which was related to a Pulitzer Prize-winning series on his financial affairs.

Trump also lost another defamation claim in 2023 when he attempted to sue CNN for allegedly likening him to Adolf Hitler; that $475 million (£369 million) lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge.