President Donald Trump announced late Monday that he is bringing a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of operating as a "virtual 'mouthpiece' for the Radical Left Democrat Party" and of making an illegal campaign contribution by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the suit would be filed in Florida and accused the Times of a decades-long pattern of "lying" about him, his business, his family and the MAGA movement. He called the paper "one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country" and said its front-page endorsement of Harris amounted to "the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER." Trump also referred to recent litigation and settlements involving broadcast news organizations, saying the Times had been allowed to "freely lie, smear, and defame" him for too long.
Trump's announcement does not include court filings or a copy of the complaint. The New York Times did not publicly respond in Trump's post. Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to both the White House and The New York Times for comment.
Legal experts said such suits face significant hurdles. Under established Supreme Court precedent, public officials and public figures generally must prove that allegedly defamatory statements were made with "actual malice" — that is, with knowledge that the statements were false or with reckless disregard for their truth or falsity. The heightened standard derives from New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, a 1964 decision that remains central to U.S. defamation law.
Trump has repeatedly criticized and sued news organizations since his first presidential campaign, and his announcement comes amid a broader legal and political landscape in which he faces multiple other civil and criminal proceedings. In his Truth Social post, he referenced what he described as successful litigation and settlements with ABC News and CBS News in recent months, framing the New York Times suit as part of a broader effort to hold media outlets accountable.
The amount sought in the complaint is among the largest monetary demands ever reported in a defamation case against a news organization. Plaintiffs in defamation litigation commonly seek compensatory and punitive damages, but awards of the size Trump announced would be highly unusual and likely to prompt immediate legal challenges over standing, jurisdiction and the sufficiency of pleaded facts.
The president said the suit would be filed in the "Great State of Florida," which has been the venue for several of his recent legal actions. Venue and jurisdictional questions are frequently litigated in high-profile defamation suits, particularly when plaintiffs and defendants operate across multiple states and countries.
The New York Times has previously defended its reporting vigorously in other legal disputes. The paper and its reporters regularly say they rely on sourcing, documentation and editorial processes to support investigative coverage. It was not immediately clear which specific articles, editorials or reporting Trump is challenging in the announced complaint.
The announcement is the latest instance of a sitting or former president turning to the courts to contest coverage. How courts treat such claims will depend on the specific allegations, the evidence presented and whether plaintiffs can meet the constitutional standards that protect news organizations' reporting on public officials and matters of public concern.
This is a developing story. More details, including the formal complaint and responses from the parties, are expected as the case is filed and moves through the courts.
