Washington: US president Donald Trump has brought about a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of being a “mouthpiece” for Democrats and waging a decades-long “campaign of lies” against him.
The amount is more than the market capitalisation of The New York Times Co that currently stands at around $9.65 billion.
“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 ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
According to him, the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, which he said was placed prominently on the front page, amounted to “the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER.” Trump also accused the paper of spreading falsehoods about him, his family, his business, and the America First movement.
“The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW! The suit is being brought in the Great State of Florida,” he wrote, mentioning past “successful litigation” against media outlets including ABC, CBS and Disney.
Earlier this year, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million towards the president’s planned library to settle a defamation claim. The case centred on anchor George Stephanopoulos’ on-air remarks in which he inaccurately said Trump had been found liable for rape in the E Jean Carroll case. The network issued an editor’s note expressing regret and covered an additional $1 million in legal fees.
CBS’ parent company Paramount Global also reached a settlement after Trump sued over what he alleged was a deceptively edited interview with then-rival Kamala Harris aired on 60 Minutes. The company agreed to pay $16 million, again directed to Trump’s library project rather than to him directly. Trump’s legal team described the outcome as “a win for the American people” and proof, they argued, of widespread misconduct in mainstream media.
