Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times Following Judicial Dismissal

The lawsuit alleges that NYT made defamatory statements against Trump "with actual malice."

United States:

Former US President Donald Trump has submitted a revised $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, according to court documents, just weeks after a federal judge dismissed the original filing.

Trump has escalated his longstanding antagonism toward media outlets since securing his return to the White House, and this legal action represents one of many challenges he has launched against news organizations he claims demonstrate bias against him.

The previous complaint against the Times was dismissed in September when District Judge Steven Merryday objected to its ornate language, repetitive self-praise of Trump, and excessive length of 85 pages.

The newly filed lawsuit, submitted Thursday in Florida and reviewed by AFP, has been condensed to 40 pages.

It targets "false, defamatory, and malicious publications," specifically highlighting a book and two articles published by the Times.

The legal action names the newspaper, three Times journalists, and publisher Penguin Random House as defendants.

The suit claims they published defamatory statements about Trump "with actual malice."

"The statements in question wrongly defame and disparage President Trump's hard-earned professional reputation, which he painstakingly built for decades" before his presidency, according to the lawsuit.

The court filing seeks compensatory damages of no less than $15 billion plus additional punitive damages "in an amount to be determined upon trial."

Trump's campaign against media organizations has included restricting press access, criticizing journalists who challenge his administration, and filing lawsuits demanding substantial financial compensation.

In July, Trump sued media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion after reporting on a book and letter he allegedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

That same month, Paramount settled Trump's lawsuit regarding election coverage on CBS News' "60 Minutes" for $16 million. Trump had claimed the program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election opponent, Kamala Harris, to portray her favorably.