President Donald Trump has sued The New York Times, four of its writers, and publisher Penguin Random House for $15 billion, claiming that they conspired to discredit him in a book and articles published before the 2024 election.
The case, which was submitted to a federal court in Florida, charges the defendants with disseminating untrue and defamatory information regarding Trump’s financial history, business activities, and media appearances, including his stint on The Apprentice. The petition claims that the reporting was done with “actual malice,” purposefully falsifying information to harm his reputation.
Additionally, the complaint claims that the publications hurt the economy, notably citing a drop in the value of Trump Media & Technology Group’s (TMTG) stock. The case names several journalists, including Michael S. Schmidt, Peter Baker, Susanne Craig, and Russ Buettner.
The New York Times retorted that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate the press and dismissed it as without merit. The legal dispute deepens the already pronounced rift between the White House and the press and adds to the continuing conflict between Trump and major media outlets.