President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will file a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, days after the newspaper published articles about his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
"Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. He said the suit would be filed in Florida but provided no additional details about timing, legal claims or specific articles named in the action.
Trump accused the newspaper of lying about him, his family and his businesses, and of defaming Republican-led movements and slogans including the America First movement and Make America Great Again (MAGA). The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
The announcement follows a separate threat last week in which Trump said he would sue the Times over reporting related to a sexually suggestive note and drawing allegedly given to Epstein. The Times in recent days published reporting that it said documented previously unreported connections between Trump and Epstein; the president has denied wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
Legal experts note that defamation claims by public figures in the United States are subject to a high standard. Since the Supreme Court's 1964 decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, public officials and public figures generally must show that a defendant published false statements with "actual malice" — that is, with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth — to recover damages for libel.
The $15 billion figure far exceeds typical libel awards and will likely draw close judicial scrutiny if the suit is filed. Trump has filed multiple lawsuits in recent years, and his public statements often indicate forthcoming litigation that can shift venues and legal strategies. His announcement on Truth Social provided no names of attorneys, court location beyond the state, or the specific legal theories he will advance beyond the labels of defamation and libel.
The dispute adds to ongoing tensions between Trump and major news organizations. The New York Times and other outlets have previously faced lawsuits from public figures challenging investigative reporting, and such suits have at times resulted in settlements, dismissals or protracted appeals. The outcome of any high-profile libel case could influence reporting decisions and legal approaches to alleged falsehoods in political coverage.
Trump has made Florida his primary legal and political base in recent years. If filed there, the suit would join a docket of other high-profile cases involving the president and former president in state and federal courts. Court filings and responses from The New York Times or Trump's legal team had not appeared in the public record as of Monday evening.
Any formal complaint would spell out the alleged defamatory statements and the damages sought. Until such a filing is publicly available, details of the claims and the Times' defense strategy remain unknown. The announcement is the latest development in a long-running and often contentious relationship between Trump and the media as his political ambitions and legal battles continue to shape U.S. political news coverage.