U.S President Donald Trump has taken legal action against The New York Times, filing a $15 billion defamation suit that escalates his ongoing dispute with the U.S. media.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Monday, names The New York Times, four of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House as defendants.
Trump claims that three articles published between September and October 2024, along with a book by Times reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig, formed part of what he called a “decades-long pattern” of malicious defamation against him.
“The Book and Articles are part of a decades-long pattern by the New York Times of intentional and malicious defamation against President Trump,” the complaint read.
It further alleged that the Times deliberately wrote articles “in the most antagonistic and negative way” and failed to give Trump adequate opportunity to respond before publication.
Trump also took to his Truth Social platform to accuse the Times of a systematic campaign of dishonesty. “The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!” he wrote.
The court filing seeks compensatory damages of no less than $15 billion, along with punitive damages to be determined at trial.
The New York Times has not yet issued an official response.
This marks Trump’s latest legal confrontation with U.S. media organisations since returning to the White House.
Earlier in July, he filed a separate multibillion-dollar lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, while also settling a case with Paramount over CBS News coverage.
Analysts say the lawsuit underscores Trump’s combative approach toward the press, one that could have lasting implications for media freedom and political reporting in the United States.