US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue The New York Times for a staggering $15 billion (£11 billion) in what he claims is a case of defamation and libel. In a post shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump expressed his frustration with the newspaper, stating, "The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!" This bold statement marks a significant escalation in Trump's ongoing conflict with the media, particularly outlets he perceives as biased against him.
Trump's latest legal action is focused on the New York Times' endorsement of Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election, which he claims has transformed the publication into a "mouthpiece" for the Radical Left Democrat Party. The lawsuit will be filed in Florida, a state known for its Republican majority, suggesting a strategic choice by Trump to pursue this matter in a friendly jurisdiction.
In his Monday post, Trump highlighted the prominence of the endorsement, stating, "Their endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!" This remark underlines his belief that the media's editorial decisions are politically motivated and detrimental to his image.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with media organizations he perceives as left-leaning and biased against him. He has frequently criticized The New York Times and other outlets for what he sees as unfair reporting. In a late Monday post, he further accused various media platforms of employing a "highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration" to smear his reputation.
This is not the first time Trump has sought to take legal action against The New York Times. In 2023, a judge dismissed a previous lawsuit filed by Trump, who was then an ex-president. That case revolved around accusations against the newspaper and his estranged niece, Mary Trump, of orchestrating an insidious plot to obtain his tax records. This lawsuit, which claimed damages of $100 million (£79 million), was linked to a Pulitzer Prize-winning series detailing Trump's financial dealings.
Additionally, in 2023, Trump faced a setback when he attempted to sue CNN for $475 million (£369 million) after the network allegedly compared him to Adolf Hitler. A federal judge ultimately dismissed that case as well, further complicating Trump's legal battles with media entities.
As Trump prepares to launch this new lawsuit against The New York Times, it remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold and what implications they may have for the media landscape in the United States. With Trump's history of contentious relationships with various media outlets, this lawsuit is likely to attract significant attention and may set precedents for future defamation cases involving public figures.
