US President Donald Trump on September 16 said he will bring a defamation and libel suit worth $15 billion against The New York Times for serving as a mouthpiece of the Democrats.
In a sharp attack, Trump described the newspaper as "one of the worst and most degenerate in history". "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.," he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also slammed the Times for its endorsement of US Presidential candidate Kamal Harris during the 2024 elections. "Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF! 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," he added.
The amount sought by the US President is more than the current market capitalization of The New York Times Co., which stands at about $9.65 billion as of today.
He provided no other specific examples of the Times’ coverage, but said that the newspaper had “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.”
The suit is being brought in Florida, Trump added. The Times didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.
Trump has targeted other media organizations with legal action since returning to the presidency. In July, Paramount Global reached a settlement with Trump over a lawsuit that alleged election interference by the company’s CBS news network when it showed two different versions of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.
In December, Trump reached a settlement with Walt Disney Co.’s ABC where the TV network agreed to give $15 million to Trump’s future presidential foundation or museum. That case stemmed from allegations that one of the network’s anchors had defamed the president-elect while characterizing a past court verdict against him.
With Bloomberg inputs
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
