President Donald Trump announced late Monday he is suing The New York Times for $15 billion, accusing the newspaper of defamation, libel, and acting as a de facto “campaign arm” for Democrats during the 2024 presidential race.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Florida’s Middle District, names the Times Company, reporters Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt, as well as Penguin Random House, which published Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, co-authored by Craig and Buettner.

Trump, in a lengthy Truth Social post, branded the Times “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the history of our country” and claimed its endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 amounted to “the single largest illegal campaign contribution, EVER.”

The filing comes on the heels of multimillion-dollar settlements Trump secured from ABC News and CBS News. ABC agreed to pay $15 million in December to resolve litigation sparked by anchor George Stephanopoulos. CBS parent company Paramount reached an eight-figure settlement in July over a 60 Minutes interview with Harris that Trump argued constituted “election interference.”

Trump’s legal team argues the Times has engaged in “decadeslong” efforts to defame him, his family and his political movement, pointing to its 2024 endorsement of Harris, which centered on denouncing Trump as “morally unfit” for office.

The 85-page complaint calls the endorsement “deranged,” blasts Lucky Loser as defamatory, and praises Trump’s “magnificent real estate achievements” and his success as the producer and star of The Apprentice TV show. 

His legal filings argue that legacy outlets like the Times amount to “persistent election interference” and are illegally skewing the political playing field.

“All across our country, Americans from a wide array of backgrounds saw the truth about him and voted accordingly — the same truth that the New York Times refused to recognize,” the suit states.

The Times, which has not endorsed a Republican presidential candidate since 1956, defended its Harris endorsement last year by declaring Trump “dangerously unfit” for the presidency.

Trump’s allies say the lawsuit is necessary to hold powerful media accountable, while critics warn that the president’s legal strategy threatens press freedom. Free speech advocates have already sounded alarms after ABC and CBS agreed to settlements, accusing corporate media owners of buckling under political pressure.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)