Trump Slaps New York Times With $15 Billion Defamation Suit — Here's Why

The lawsuit has been filed in Florida, Trump's official state of residence and governed by the Republican Party.

File photo of US President Donald Trump (Image: The White House/X) 

US President Donald Trump sued the New York Times newspaper for $15 billion, alleging defamation and libel. He called the renowned newspaper "a virtual mouthpiece" for the opposition Democratic Party.

The lawsuit has been filed in Florida, Trump's official state of residence which is governed by the Republican Party. The amount he's seeking exceeds the market capitalization of The New York Times Co., which currently stands at about $9.65 billion, according to Bloomberg.

"The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW! The suit is being brought in the Great State of Florida," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.

The president said the NYT ran an "illegal campaign" to endorse his 2024 election opponent Kamal Harris.

"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. I am PROUD to hold this once respected “rag” responsible, as we are doing with the Fake News Networks (sic)," he said.

Also Read: TikTok Fate Sealed? Trump Hints At Youth-Favoured Deal

'Fake News' Media

Donald Trump has long complained about the coverage and commentary he has received from large US media outlets like Paramount Global-owned CBS news network and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC. He has alleged smear campaigns against him through a "highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration".

In July, Paramount Global settled a lawsuit with Trump that alleged election interference by CBS when it showed two different versions of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.

In December, ABC agreed to give $15 million to Trump's future presidential foundation or museum. That case stemmed from allegations that one of the network’s anchors had defamed the president-elect while characterizing a past court verdict against him, as per local media reports.

Trump referenced those settlements in his latest post, claiming “longterm INTENT and pattern of abuse, which is both unacceptable and illegal.” 

Also Read: 'Israel Won't Attack Qatar Again': Trump Denies Reports Of Knowledge Prior To Strike

Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit. Feel free to Add NDTV Profit as trusted source on Google.
WRITTEN BY
Shubhayan Bhattacharya
Shubhayan covers markets and business news at NDTV Profit. He has a keen in... more
GET REGULAR UPDATES
Add us to your Preferences
Set as your preferred source on Google