U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday initiated a $15 billion (€13.8bn) defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and four of its reporters, following legal steps taken against the Wall Street Journal several months earlier.
Trump claimed the outlet served as a "virtual mouthpiece" for "the radical left Democrat Party" and alleged that it was disseminating "false and defamatory information" regarding him, his family, and his business.
A legal case initiated in the Florida state, which is governed by the Republican party, references multiple articles and a book authored by two journalists from The New York Times, released ahead of the 2024 election.
"it is part of a long-standing trend by the New York Times to deliberately and harmfully defame President Trump," the legal document states.
Defendants disseminated these statements carelessly, aware of their inaccuracy, and/or with a willful indifference to whether they were true or false.
The New York Times did not reply right away.
In a post shared on his Truth Social account, Trump highlighted the publication's support for his Democratic rival in the previous presidential election, stating that the Times' "endorsement of Kamala Harris was prominently displayed on the front page of the New York Times, an occurrence that had never happened before."
It occurred a few days after the US daily newspaper released a article claiming that it had faced the threat of legal action from the White House due to its coverage of acrude note Trump is said to have given something to the disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump has refuted claims that the note, which featured a suggestive illustration and his signature as part of a book commemorating Epstein's 50th birthday, was written by him.
The American president has initiated multiple legal actions against prominent media organizations in recent years.
In July, Trump initiated legal proceedings against the Wall Street Journal and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch following the publication of the story regarding the existence of the Epstein note.
He also initiated legal actions against the television network ABC News, its host George Stephanopoulos, and the US media company Paramount concerning an interview with Kamala Harris before the election.
The matters were resolved for $15 million (€13.8m) and $16 million (€14.7m) each.