Donald Trump announced a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times on Monday night. The US president filed the legal action in Florida state court, calling the newspaper "one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country".
Trump made the announcement via his Truth Social platform in a lengthy post. He accused the outlet of being "allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long".
Political bias allegations
The lawsuit centres on Trump's claims of systematic bias against his administration and the MAGA movement. He specifically cited the newspaper's endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election as evidence of partisan coverage.
Only the Daily Mail reports that Trump highlighted how the Harris endorsement was placed "dead center on the front page," which he called "heretofore UNHEARD OF." The president argued this demonstrated unprecedented political favouritism in the newspaper's editorial stance.
Epstein reporting trigger
The legal action follows recent New York Times articles about alleged notes and drawings Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein. The reporting included claims about a birthday message Trump allegedly sent to the convicted sex offender for his 50th birthday in 2003.
Congressional committee files from Epstein's estate contained the disputed materials, including hand-drawings and pictures with Trump's alleged signature. Trump has maintained the handwriting and signature do not match his own and dismissed the reporting as false.
The same files mentioned former British minister Peter Mandelson, who was subsequently sacked as UK ambassador to the US over revelations about his relationship with Epstein. Reuters independently confirmed the court filing's existence, according to The Guardian.
Legal response
A New York Times spokeswoman defended the newspaper's reporting last week when Trump first threatened legal action. She said: "Our journalists reported the facts, provided the visual evidence and printed the president's denial."
The spokeswoman added: "We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favour and stand up for journalists' First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people." The $15 billion amount represents one of the largest defamation claims in recent US legal history.
Sources used: "Sky News", "Daily Mail", "The Guardian"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
