Trump Revives $15 Billion Lawsuit Against The New York Times
President Donald Trump has refilled his $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times after it was previously dismissed in court because, well, it was just too lengthy.
The revised complaint, brought before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tampa, Florida, claims defamation regarding two articles released in 2024 and a book authored by two Times reporters last year. Trump is seeking $15 billion alongside punitive damages.
A representative from Trump’s legal team emphasized that this lawsuit aims to hold the Times and its reporters accountable for what they term “fake news.”
Judge Dismisses Original $15 Billion Lawsuit
The original lawsuit, which extended to 85 pages, was thrown out by a federal judge last month, who ordered the defendants to submit a new complaint—this one needed to be under 40 pages. The current amended version complies with that requirement, clocking in at exactly 40 pages.
In this complaint, Trump alleges defamation stemming from Times reporting on his time as the star of “The Apprentice” and his supposed involvement in tax fraud. Notably, defendants include The New York Times Company, reporters Suzanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker, and Michael S. Schmidt, along with Penguin Random House, the publisher of “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump squandered his father’s fortune and created the illusion of success.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to The New York Times and Penguin Random House for their comments regarding this lawsuit.
Trump’s Ongoing Legal Battles
This lawsuit isn’t Trump’s first encounter with media outlets over defamation claims. He has previously filed against ABC News, CBS News, and the Wall Street Journal, achieving settlements totaling eight figures with ABC and CBS over the last year.
In December, for example, ABC settled with Trump, agreeing to direct $15 million in charitable donations to a future presidential museum in exchange for dropping a defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit arose after specific comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos regarding allegations against Trump.
Moreover, Trump also targeted CBS last year with an “election interference” lawsuit concerning Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview on 60 Minutes, arguing that CBS’s editorial decisions misled the public. Ahead of a planned large merger involving CBS, that lawsuit, too, recently settled.
