Trump Sues New York Times, Penguin for $15bn in Defamation Case

WASHINGTON: US president Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times, four of its journalists, and publisher Penguin Random House, accusing them of defamation and reputational harm, according to court filings in Florida.

The suit, announced Monday, cites several New York Times articles and a 2024 Penguin-published book, Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success. The complaint alleges the publications contained “distortions and fabrications” intended to damage Trump’s credibility and political future.

Pattern of lawsuits
Trump has previously targeted media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and CBS parent company Paramount, seeking billions of dollars in damages over reports he said were false or misleading. In July, Paramount settled a lawsuit in which Trump claimed CBS’s 60 Minutes deceptively edited an interview with then–vice president Kamala Harris.

His lawyers argued that the Times’ reporting harmed both his personal standing and business prospects, pointing to a drop in the stock of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) as evidence of financial loss.

Media responds
The New York Times dismissed the case, calling it meritless. “This lawsuit has no merit. It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting,” a spokesperson said, vowing the paper would not be intimidated.

Penguin Random House has yet to issue a comment.

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Legal hurdles
Under US law, public figures must prove “actual malice” in defamation cases — meaning the statements were knowingly false or made with reckless disregard for the truth. The standard, set by the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan ruling, has long drawn Trump’s ire for being too protective of the press.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared: “Today, I have the great honor of bringing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times,” accusing the paper of lying about him, his businesses, his family, and Republican-led movements including America First and MAGA.