President Trump has once again declared war on the fake news media — this time with a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times. The announcement came directly from the president on Truth Social, where he blasted the paper as “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country,” accusing it of acting as a mouthpiece for the Radical Left.
According to Trump, the lawsuit will be filed in Florida and is intended to hold the Times accountable for decades of smears against him, his family, and the America First movement. He pointed to the paper’s unprecedented front-page endorsement of Kamala Harris as an illegal campaign contribution, and accused the outlet of systematically lying about him with the intent to damage his political standing. “The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!” Trump wrote.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 09.15.25 11:45 PM EST
Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual…
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 16, 2025
This lawsuit comes just days after the Times published stories suggesting links between Trump and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has strongly denied the claims and last week threatened legal action. Now he is following through. Reuters reported that the case centers around Times coverage of a so-called note and drawing connected to Epstein, which the president has dismissed as false and defamatory.
The $15 billion figure makes this one of the largest defamation claims in U.S. history, and it’s not Trump’s first battle with the media. He referenced previous lawsuits that forced settlements from outlets including ABC, Disney, and CBS’s 60 Minutes. In those cases, Trump claimed the networks knowingly manipulated documents and visuals to smear him, eventually conceding in court and paying “record amounts.”
While critics will no doubt paint this as Trump lashing out at his enemies, conservatives see it as long overdue accountability. For years, the New York Times has published hit piece after hit piece designed to delegitimize Trump and MAGA, all while pretending to be the paper of record. If a conservative outlet ever printed outright lies about a Democrat, lawsuits and cancellations would rain down instantly.
Whether this lawsuit succeeds or not, the bigger picture is clear: Trump is signaling that the era of media outlets freely spreading lies without consequences is coming to an end. For the New York Times, it looks like the bill may finally be coming due.
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