Donald Trump on Tuesday said he will file a $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times for being a “mouthpience” for Democrats and for waging a decades-long “campaign of lies” against him.
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to file a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the newspaper of becoming a “mouthpiece” for the radical left and spreading falsehoods about him for decades. Trump took to social media to express his anger, describing the NYT as the “worst and most degenerate newspaper” in US history.
Trump’s rant on Truth Social
In a post on Truth Social, Trump lashed out at the New York Times for what he called its biased coverage and “lying” about him, his family, and his business. He specifically criticized the NYT’s endorsement of Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 presidential election, calling it an example of the paper’s bias. Trump also slammed the newspaper for decades of negative coverage, stating:
“Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER.”
Accusations of ‘lies’ and malicious defamation
The president continued his attack, accusing the New York Times of engaging in a long-running campaign of false reporting. He claimed the paper had spread lies about his family, his businesses, and the America First Movement. Trump further wrote, “The ‘Times’ has engaged in a decades-long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole. I am PROUD to hold this once respected ‘rag’ responsible, as we are doing with the Fake News Networks such as our successful litigation against George Slopadopoulos/ABC/Disney, and 60 Minutes/CBS/Paramount, who knew that they were falsely ‘smearing’ me through a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration, which was, in effect, a malicious form of defamation, and thus, settled for record amounts.”
Just last week, on September 10, The New York Times reported that the president had threatened legal action against the paper over its coverage of alleged sexually suggestive notes Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein.
These notes, allegedly written for Epstein’s 50th birthday, were released by Congress. However, both Trump and the White House continue to deny any involvement, dismissing the released documents as a “fabrication”.