Why Trump is suing New York Times for a massive $15 billion
Trump targeted The New York Times for alleged long-term dishonesty regarding him and his family, criticizing the newspaper's endorsement of Kamala Harris.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times over charges of running what he called a decades-long "method of lying" against him, his family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and the nation as a whole.
“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 wrote on his official Truth Social handle.
“The 'Times' has engaged in a decades long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole,” he added.
Trump did not provide details of specific allegations in his lawsuit, but said it would be filed in Florida.
‘Fake news network’: What Trump said about NYT
Suing The New York Times for defamation, President Trump called out The New York Times as “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of the Country.”
He also called the publication a ‘fake news network’, adding George Slopadopoulos/ABC/Disney, and 60 Minutes/CBS/Paramount to the list.
“Fake News Networks such as our successful litigation against George Slopadopoulos/ABC/Disney, and 60 Minutes/CBS/Paramount, who knew that they were falsely “smearing” me through a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration, which was, in effect, a malicious form of defamation, and thus, settled for record amounts,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
Trump also criticised the newspaper's front-page endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, calling it “something heretofore unheard of.”
“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 added.
A week after the threat
His recent post, where Trump wrote “The ‘Times’ has engaged in a decades long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole,” comes a week after he threatened to sue NYT.
The threat was apparently triggered by a report by the Times on a sexually suggestive note and drawing given to since-deceased sexual abuse accused Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003.
According to a report by CNN, the note appeared to carry Trump's signature, though the president and his aides have denied any involvement.
“Trump rested his denials on the false claim that he didn’t ever draw pictures (the letter includes a drawing of a female silhouette), when in fact there are plenty of Trump doodles in the public record,” stated the CNN report.
