Trump announces $15 billion lawsuit against New York Times

President Donald Trump is bringing a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of being a virtual “mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party and making an illegal “campaign contribution” in 2024 to opponent Kamala Harris.

Trump announced the lawsuit late Monday on Truth Social and said it would be brought in Florida. This marks yet another legal action taken by the president against a major media organization after forcing settlements with ABC News and CBS News over the past year.

“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. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER,” he wrote. “Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump accused the Times of engaging in a decades-long campaign of “lying” about him, his business, family, and the MAGA movement.

“I am PROUD to hold this once respected ‘rag’ responsible, as we are doing with the Fake News Networks such as our successful litigation against George Slopadopoulos/ABC/Disney, and 60 Minutes/CBS/Paramount, who knew that they were falsely ‘smearing’ me through a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration, which was, in effect, a malicious form of defamation, and thus, settled for record amounts. They practiced this longterm INTENT and pattern of abuse, which is both unacceptable and illegal. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

In the lawsuit, Trump said he had to overcome “persistent election interference from the legacy media,” that was led by the Times. 

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Florida’s Middle District. The named defendants are the New York Times Company, reporters Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt, and Penguin Random House, which published “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.”

The New York Times endorsed Harris in 2024, no surprise in that its editorial board leans sharply to the left and has not endorsed a Republican for the White House since 1956. In its endorsement, the board began by panning Trump as dangerously unfit rather than praising Harris.

“It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest,” the board wrote.

The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, whose liberal editorial boards were set to endorse Harris last year, ultimately didn’t offer endorsements after being overruled by their respective billionaire owners.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and New York Times for comment.

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