US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. He accused the publication of running a decades-long campaign to damage his image and of acting as a supporter of the Democratic Party.
Trump called the newspaper “one of the worst and most degenerate” in the country. He also claimed that the Times has become a “virtual mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party.”
“Today, I have the great honour of bringing a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times,” Trump said. He added that the Times’ reporting over the years has been filled with lies about him, his family, his business, the America First movement, and the nation as a whole.
Trump argued that the Times’ endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris was proof of its bias. “Their endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore unheard of!” he said. According to Trump, this act alone was like making “the single largest illegal campaign contribution, ever.”
Trump has frequently clashed with the American media, particularly major outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. During his presidency, he often referred to them as “fake news” and accused them of working against him politically.
The New York Times has not yet issued an official response to the lawsuit announcement. Legal experts say defamation suits against media organisations are difficult to win in the United States, as courts generally give wide protection to freedom of the press under the First Amendment.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
