President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, Penguin Random House, and four of the Times’ reporters, alleging that a series of articles and books were part of a coordinated effort to damage his reputation and derail his political career.
The lawsuit, filed late Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, accuses the defendants of publishing false information with “actual malice” toward Trump. The complaint cites three New York Times articles and a book authored by reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.” Times journalists Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt are also named in the suit.
According to the filing, the articles and books were released “at the height of election season to inflict maximum electoral damage.” Trump’s attorneys argue the coverage falsely depicted him as dishonest and sought to diminish his achievements as a businessman, television personality and politician.
Among the specific claims: that producers, not Trump, were responsible for the success of NBC’s reality competition “The Apprentice”; that Trump’s former chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, described him as meeting the definition of a fascist; and that the Times repeatedly portrayed him as unfit for office. The lawsuit also criticized the Times’ editorial board for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, calling the endorsement “deranged.”
The Times and its publisher pushed back strongly against the claims.
“This lawsuit has no merit,” the company said in a statement. “It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting. The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics.”
Publisher A.G. Sulzberger told staff the suit was “frivolous” and warned that it was part of a broader campaign against the press. Penguin Random House, which published Craig and Buettner’s book, also rejected the allegations.
“This is a meritless lawsuit,” a spokeswoman said. “Penguin Random House stands by the book and its authors and will continue to uphold the values of the First Amendment that are fundamental to our role as a book publisher.”
On social media, Trump said the lawsuit marked a continuation of his campaign against what he called “fake news networks,” citing prior settlements with other outlets.
“The ‘Times’ has engaged in a decades long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole,” Trump wrote. “I am PROUD to hold this once respected ‘rag’ responsible.”
Under U.S. law, public figures like Trump face a high bar in defamation cases and must prove that journalists knowingly published falsehoods or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Still, Trump’s legal strategy has produced results outside the courtroom, with some outlets opting to settle.
Earlier this year, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to resolve Trump’s claims over an edited “60 Minutes” segment. Last year, ABC News settled a lawsuit tied to remarks by anchor George Stephanopoulos, paying $15 million plus $1 million in legal fees. Trump also filed suit against the Wall Street Journal and its publisher Dow Jones for reporting that he once sent a lewd birthday greeting to financier Jeffrey Epstein, which he denied.
Trump has sued the Times before, without success. In 2021, he brought a case over reporting on his finances and tax records, which was dismissed two years later, with the former president ordered to cover the newspaper’s legal expenses. His 2020 re-election campaign also filed a libel suit over an opinion column on Trump and Russia; that case was thrown out in 2021.
