Former U.S. President Donald Trump initiated a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four journalists from the publication on Monday, as per court filings. Filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, the lawsuit targets multiple articles and a book penned by two of the journalists in the run-up to the 2024 election, alleging a longstanding deliberate and damaging pattern of defamation against Trump by The New York Times.
The legal document states that the defendants published the statements negligently, knowing their falsity, or with reckless disregard for their accuracy. The New York Times did not provide an immediate response to an email seeking comment early the following day.
In a post on Truth Social announcing the legal action, Trump accused The New York Times of spreading lies and defaming him, branding the publication as a mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party. Trump has a history of legal action against media outlets, having previously filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit in July against The Wall Street Journal and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch following a story linking him to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein.