Trump files $15B defamation suit against NYT and Penguin Random House

President Donald Trump on Monday filed a US$15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists and publisher Penguin Random House, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida. The suit cites a series of Times articles and a book published last year that Trump says falsely portrayed him and harmed his reputation ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump announced the move on his social media platform Truth Social, writing, "Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a 15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times." In the post he accused the newspaper of lying about him, his family and businesses and of serving as "a virtual mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party." He also wrote, "The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW."

Court papers name investigative reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, Washington correspondent Michael S. Schmidt and White House correspondent Peter Baker as defendants, along with Penguin Random House and the Times. The complaint, according to the filing, cites three Times articles and...