Trump Slaps New York Times With $15B Lawsuit, Claims “Malicious Fabrications”

Edyme

September 16, 2025

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a sweeping lawsuit against the New York Times, four of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House, seeking at least $15 billion in damages.

The case, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, accuses the defendants of defamation and libel, citing reputational and financial harm.

Allegations Against the Times and Penguin

According to the filing, Trump’s legal team pointed to several New York Times articles, including an editorial published ahead of the 2024 election that described him as unfit for office.

The lawsuit also challenges Penguin’s 2024 book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, which Trump claims included “distortions and fabrications.”

“The defendants maliciously published the Book and the Articles knowing that these publications were filled with distortions and fabrications about President Trump,” the filing stated.

Trump’s attorneys argue that these publications damaged both his personal reputation and his business interests. One example they cited was a decline in Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) stock, which they claim was negatively affected by the reporting.

This is not Trump’s first clash with major media outlets during his second term. Earlier this year, he sued the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch, for $10 billion over a report connecting him to a 2003 birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein.

In July, Paramount agreed to settle a separate lawsuit brought by Trump regarding a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris that he alleged was deceptively edited.

Legal and Media Responses

The New York Times quickly dismissed the latest lawsuit. “This lawsuit has no merit. It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting,” a spokesperson said, adding that the paper would continue to stand by its journalists and the First Amendment.

Penguin Random House has not yet commented publicly.

Under U.S. law, public figures such as Trump face a high bar in defamation cases. To succeed, plaintiffs must prove “actual malice,” meaning that the statements were knowingly false or published with reckless disregard for the truth.

This standard stems from the landmark 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan, which Trump has repeatedly criticized as too protective of the press.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump framed the lawsuit as part of a broader effort to push back against what he calls false reporting.

“Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times,” he wrote, accusing the paper of targeting him, his family, and movements such as “America First” and “MAGA.”