Trump files $15bn defamation lawsuit against New York Times over election reporting

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 2 months ago |  JP Global Monitoring

ISLAMABAD — Former US President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing it of being a “mouthpiece” for Democrats and spreading “false and defamatory” content about him. The lawsuit was filed in a Florida district court on Monday night and is the latest in a series of legal actions Trump has launched against major US media outlets, The Guardian reported.

The case cites several NYT articles and a book by reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, which Trump’s lawyers claim contained “fabrications” meant to damage his reputation ahead of the 2024 election. The Times dismissed the suit as meritless, vowing to continue “independent reporting” without intimidation.

Trump has already filed similar multi-billion-dollar lawsuits against ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, and Paramount over critical coverage, with some cases resulting in multi-million-dollar settlements. The lawsuit underscores Trump’s strategy of using the courts to challenge reporting he sees as hostile, particularly around his business dealings, political record, and past associations.