U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States, on September 5, 2025. AP/Alex Brandon
As reported by Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit on September 16, 2025, against The New York Times, four of its reporters, and Penguin Random House, accusing them of defamation. The suit was filed in the federal district court in Florida.
The suit mentions an editorial published before the 2024 presidential election, as well as the Penguin Random House book “The Happy Loser: How Donald Trump Spent His Father’s Wealth and Created the Illusion of Success.”
In the documents filed on September 16, it states that the defendants knew about “vile distortions and fabrications” about Trump and knowingly published them. Meanwhile, the NYT and Penguin Random House have declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The core of the lawsuit and the parties’ positions
Trump’s lawyers said that the publications caused serious damage to his business and personal reputation and led to substantial financial costs, including a drop in the value of his media company, TMTG.
“The harm to the value of TMTG’s shares is one example of how the defendants’ defamation harmed President Trump.”
The lawsuit arose after Trump threatened to file a separate suit against The New York Times over materials about a purported sexually charged note and drawing that were allegedly given to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denied any friendship with Epstein, and his publicity-related legal troubles had become known as far back as 2006.
He added that today “it is a great honor for me to file a defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times for $15 billion” through his supporters on Truth Social.
“Today, it’s a great honor for me to file a defamation and libel suit against The New York Times for $15 billion.”
Following this, Trump accused the media of misinformation about his family and business and pointed to political movements led by Republicans, such as “America First” and “Make America Great Again” (MAGA). Such lawsuits highlight the tension between freedom of speech and the right of public figures to defend their reputation in today’s media landscape.
Analysts note that such civil, rights- and activism-driven lawsuits against the media could influence the media market and approaches to covering political topics in the future.
Earlier this year, Trump had already filed suits against other media over similar claims, notably against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, underscoring his tactic of using the courts as tools in political battles.
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