Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

US President Donald Trump has refiled a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, according to court documents, weeks after a federal judge dismissed his initial suit.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has escalated his longstanding confrontations with the media, targeting organizations he claims are biased against him.

The original lawsuit was dismissed in September by District Judge Steven Merryday, who criticized its florid language, repetitive praise of Trump, and excessive length of 85 pages. The newly filed suit in Florida, seen by AFP, is substantially shorter at 40 pages.

The complaint accuses The New York Times, three of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House of publishing "false, defamatory, and malicious" statements. It specifically cites a book and two articles by the newspaper.

Trump alleges that these statements were made "with actual malice" and defamed his professional reputation, which he claims he built over decades prior to his presidency. The lawsuit requests compensatory damages of no less than $15 billion, along with additional punitive damages to be determined at trial.

Trump has frequently targeted media outlets through lawsuits, public criticism, and by restricting access for journalists he perceives as critical of his administration.

In July, Trump filed a separate $10 billion lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, following reports about a book and a letter he allegedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The same month, Trump settled his defamation lawsuit against CBS News' 60 Minutes for $16 million, after alleging that the program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor.