President Trump files lawsuit against The New York Times for $15B
News | By Easton Martin | September 16, 2025
President Donald Trump has filed a sweeping lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists, and publisher Penguin Random House, seeking $15 billion in damages. The suit, lodged in the U.S. District Court in Florida, accuses the defendants of engaging in a long-running pattern of publishing false and defamatory material about Trump, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election.
At the center of the case is a book titled Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, written by Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner. Trump argues the book grossly misrepresents his financial history and business achievements. He also cites the Times’ endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024, which ran prominently on its front page, calling it an act of blatant partisanship disguised as journalism.
The lawsuit further claims that the Times’ reporting and editorial decisions damaged Trump’s reputation, harmed his business interests, and contributed to the decline of Trump Media & Technology Group’s stock value. Trump’s attorneys argue that the combined effect of the paper’s coverage amounted to a deliberate campaign of libel aimed at weakening him politically and economically.
The New York Times has dismissed the lawsuit as meritless, characterizing it as an attack on “independent” journalism. This case adds to Trump’s broader legal offensive against media outlets that he says are guilty of publishing knowingly false information.
