Donald Trump has once again launched a massive $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. This renewed legal challenge comes just weeks after a federal judge dismissed his initial filing.
Since returning to the political spotlight, Mr. Trump has escalated his well-known animosity towards the press. This lawsuit is part of a broader campaign against news organizations he frequently accuses of unfair bias.
Filed in Florida on Thursday, October 17, 2025, the new lawsuit, which an AFP review indicates is a concise 40 pages—less than half the original length—targets what Trump calls “false, defamatory, and malicious publications.” Specifically, it references a book and two articles published by the Times.
The complaint names The New York Times, three of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House as defendants. It alleges that these entities made defamatory statements about Mr. Trump “with actual malice,” implying a deliberate intent to harm his reputation.
According to the lawsuit, the disputed statements “wrongly defame and disparage President Trump’s hard-earned professional reputation, which he painstakingly built for decades” prior to his presidency.
The suit requests a minimum of $15 billion in compensatory damages, alongside additional punitive damages, the exact sum of which would be decided during trial.
Mr. Trump’s history of challenging media organizations includes restricting press access, publicly criticizing journalists who report negatively on his administration, and initiating high-stakes lawsuits seeking significant financial compensation.
As an example, in July, Mr. Trump pursued legal action against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, seeking at least $10 billion. This stemmed from the newspaper’s report on a book and a letter allegedly sent by Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
That same month, Paramount settled a separate lawsuit brought by Mr. Trump for $16 million. This particular case concerned CBS News’ “60 Minutes” flagship show, which Trump accused of deceptively editing an interview with his 2024 election opponent, Kamala Harris, to portray her more favorably.