Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times After Court Dismissal
 

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Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times After Court Dismissal


In the amended complaint, Trump accused the defendants of defaming him through two articles and a book published last year ahead of the presidential election.




The New York Times Building in New York City on Feb. 5, 2024. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times



Aldgra Fredly
10/17/2025|Updated: 10/17/2025

President Donald Trump on Oct. 16 refiled his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, book publisher Penguin Random House, and three NY Times reporters after a judge’s earlier rejection of the case.

In a 40-page amended complaint, Trump accused the defendants of defamation over two articles and a book published last year ahead of the presidential election, alleging they contained statements intended to “wrongly defame and disparage” his professional reputation.

The lawsuit named NY Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, as well as NY Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker, among the defendants.

According to the filing, among the alleged defamatory statements are claims that Trump received more than $400 million from his father through “fraudulent tax evasion schemes.” The complaint also cited The New York Times’s coverage of his role in the TV series “The Apprentice” and its statements about his compliance with federal tax laws.

“Defendants individually and collectively published numerous false, malicious, and defamatory statements while realizing that these statements were false, or, at a minimum, with reckless disregard for the truth,” the lawsuit reads.

Trump is seeking $15 billion in compensatory damages—consistent with his original suit filed on Sept. 15—and an unspecified amount of punitive damages, which will be determined upon trial.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, NY Times spokesman Charlie Stadtlander reiterated the newspaper’s stance that Trump’s lawsuit was meritless.

“Nothing has changed today. This is merely an attempt to stifle independent reporting and generate PR attention, but The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics,” Stadtlander said.

A Penguin Random House spokesperson similarly said the lawsuit is a challenge to freedom of speech.

“With a second attempt, this lawsuit remains meritless,” the spokesperson said via email. “Penguin Random House will continue to stand by the book and its authors just as we will continue to stand for the important fundamental principles of the First Amendment.”

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday previously tossed the original complaint due to its length, saying that it “stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8” of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The judge then gave Trump 28 days to amend the lawsuit.


The first complaint amounted to 85 pages.

In a Truth Social post announcing the initial filing on Sept. 15, Trump said The New York Times was “a virtual mouthpiece for the radical left Democrat Party,” citing its endorsement of then-Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.

“The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW,” the president said in his post.

Trump also filed a lawsuit against Paramount over CBS’s “60 Minutes” interview with Harris, alleging that CBS edited the interview to benefit Harris in the election. Paramount paid $16 million to settle the lawsuit. Trump said in July that he anticipated another $20 million from Paramount’s “new owners,” which he said would come in the form of “advertising, PSAs [public service announcements], or similar programming.”


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From The Epoch Times
Link: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/tru...ner&src_cmp=gp





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