US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will sue The New York Times for $15 billion, accusing the newspaper of “defamation and libel” and accusing it of acting as a “mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party.”
Trump posted the announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying: “The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!”
He singled out the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, saying the endorsement was placed “dead center on the front page” a decision he called “heretofore UNHEARD OF.”
According to Trump, the lawsuit will be filed in Florida, a Republican stronghold and the state where he maintains a legal and political base.
He also accused other media outlets and TV programmes of “smearing” him through what he described as “a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration.”
The BBC reported that it had contacted The New York Times for comment. The paper has not yet issued a public response to Trump’s post.
Trump has repeatedly criticised outlets he views as unfriendly, and legal action against media organisations — whether threats or filings — has been a recurring theme of his public rhetoric.
