President Donald Trump announced a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of defamation, libel, and acting as a “mouthpiece” for Democrats during the 2024 election cycle.
The lawsuit, filed in Florida, argues that the Times’ endorsement of Kamala Harris amounted to an illegal “campaign contribution.” In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party.”
The 85-page filing names the New York Times Company, four of its reporters, and Penguin Random House as defendants. Trump’s lawyers argue the outlet engaged in “persistent election interference from the legacy media” and cited the Times’ publication of Lucky Loser, a book critical of his business record, as part of the alleged smear campaign.
The Times dismissed the lawsuit as meritless. A spokesperson said, “It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting. The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics.”
This latest lawsuit follows Trump’s multimillion-dollar settlements with ABC News and CBS News in similar defamation cases. Both networks agreed to payouts after airing disputed reports, with ABC settling for $15 million last December and CBS parent company Paramount paying upwards of $30 million in July.
