Former U.S. President Donald Trump has reinitiated a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, following the dismissal of his previous case by a trump-transgender-nonbinary-passport-enforcement/” title=”… Pushes for Stricter Enforcement of Transgender and Non-Binary Passport Policies | Donald … News”>federal judge who criticized it for excessive length and self-praise.
New court filings submitted in Florida on Thursday reveal a more concise complaint, spanning 40 pages-less than half the size of the 85-page document rejected in September by District Judge Steven Merryday.
Judge Merryday had previously condemned the initial lawsuit for its overly elaborate language, repetitive content, and excessive commendation of Trump, remarking that it resembled a political address rather than a formal legal pleading.
In this updated complaint, Trump alleges that The New York Times, along with three of its journalists and the publisher Penguin Random House, disseminated “false, defamatory, and malicious” statements that tarnished his reputation.
“The challenged statements unjustly harm President Trump’s professionally earned reputation, which he diligently cultivated over many years prior to his presidency,” the lawsuit asserts.
Having resumed office in January 2025, Trump is demanding at least $15 billion in compensatory damages, along with additional punitive damages to be determined during trial proceedings.
The lawsuit targets two articles published by The New York Times and a book, which Trump claims were released “with actual malice,” a critical legal threshold for defamation cases involving public figures in the U.S.
This legal action represents the latest episode in Trump’s ongoing conflict with the American press. Since his return to the presidency, he has frequently accused major media outlets of bias and initiated several lawsuits against journalists and news organizations.
Earlier this year, in July, Trump filed a separate $10 billion defamation suit against media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, alleging the newspaper defamed him by reporting on a letter he purportedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Also in July, Paramount reportedly resolved another Trump lawsuit concerning CBS News’ “60 Minutes” election coverage with a $16 million settlement. Trump had claimed the network manipulated an interview to favor his 2024 presidential opponent, Kamala Harris.
As of now, The New York Times has not released an official statement regarding the new lawsuit.
