Refile It In "Dignified Manner": Court Tosses Trump's Defamation Plea Against New York Times

Federal Judge Dismisses Trump's $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

US President Donald Trump.

On Friday, a federal judge issued a strongly-worded ruling rejecting US President Donald Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

Judge Steven Merryday characterized Trump's complaint as "improper and impermissible" and provided his legal team 28 days to resubmit it "in a professional and dignified manner."

While not addressing the merits of the case against the newspaper, Judge Merryday, who was appointed by Republican president George HW Bush, criticized the filing for its ornate language, repetitive self-praise of Trump, and excessive length of 85 pages.

"A complaint should be a concise, straightforward statement of factual allegations sufficient to establish a plausible claim for relief," Merryday stated.

"Although attorneys are granted some expressive freedom when presenting a client's claim, this complaint extends far beyond acceptable boundaries," he noted.

The judge emphasized that "a complaint is not a public forum for harsh criticism and invective," nor is it "a protected platform to express rage toward an opponent."

A spokesperson for The New York Times posted on X, saying the newspaper appreciates "the judge's prompt ruling, which recognized that the complaint was more of a political document than a serious legal filing."

Trump filed this lawsuit against the Times on Monday, adding to his growing collection of legal actions against news organizations he claims are biased against him.

At 79, Trump has escalated his long-standing antagonism toward the media since returning to the White House, frequently criticizing journalists who scrutinize his administration, limiting their access, and filing lawsuits seeking substantial financial damages.

- 'Lie, smear and defame' -

In his federal court filing in Florida, Trump accused the Times of a "decades-long pattern" of defamatory coverage motivated by "actual malice."

"The Times has established itself as a leading, and unapologetic, source of falsehoods against President Trump in mainstream media," the complaint stated.

On his Truth Social platform, the Republican president declared "The New York Times has been permitted to freely lie, smear, and defame me for too long, and that ends, NOW!"

The lawsuit also named four Times journalists and publisher Penguin Random House as defendants.

Trump's complaint alleged that the Times departed from journalistic standards when covering him, producing articles "in the most antagonistic and negative way" and failing to provide adequate time for response before publication.

"Simply put, Defendants exhibit an irrational hatred of President Trump," the complaint asserted.

The court was asked to award compensatory damages of at least $15 billion plus additional punitive damages "to be determined at trial."

Despite broad constitutional protections for American media, Trump has previously succeeded in similar lawsuits against other news organizations, securing multi-million dollar settlements from ABC and Paramount-owned CBS.

Those settlements—designated for Trump's future presidential library—were widely interpreted as reflecting the media companies' desire to maintain favorable relations with Trump.

Trump has also filed a lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal seeking at least $10 billion following their July report about a birthday letter he allegedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was placed on indefinite suspension by Disney-owned ABC this week after the Federal Communications Commission chairman threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses over comments the comedian made regarding the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.