Tehran — President Donald Trump filed a federal defamation and libel lawsuit Monday against The New York Times, four of its reporters, and Penguin Random House, seeking no less than $15 billion in damages. The suit, lodged in US District Court for the Middle District of Florida — covering the area where Trump resides outside the White House — alleges that the newspaper’s reporting during his 2024 campaign was aimed at ruining his business reputation, sabotaging his political support, and biasing judges and juries against him through persistent negative coverage.
The defendants named in the complaint are Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker, and Michael S. Schmidt, along with publisher Penguin Random House, which released Craig and Buettner’s book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success. The suit accuses them of publishing false or misleading narratives that challenged the authenticity of Trump’s business acumen, cast doubt on his character, and portrayed him as someone who might dismantle democratic norms.
Trump’s attorneys also singled out a Times editorial endorsing his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, alleging that the editorial board “asserted hypocritically and without evidence that President Trump would ‘defy the norms and dismantle the institutions that have made our country strong.’” They claim this endorsement and associated reporting aren’t isolated misjudgments but part of what they describe as a decades-long media pattern of defamation and bias.
In response, The New York Times denied the suit’s merits. A Times spokesperson said the lawsuit is “without merit” and called it an attempt to stifle independent journalism. They affirmed that the reporting in question is grounded in fact, and underlined the importance of the First Amendment’s protection for press freedom. For readers seeking broader context on Washington’s actions abroad, The Eastern Herald offers in-depth coverage of US foreign policy.
According to NBC News, Legal analysts suggest that this lawsuit could set major precedents for the future of defamation law and media accountability, especially given the magnitude of the financial claim and political stakes. The outcome may also influence how campaign coverage is conducted in upcoming US elections.
