Donald Trump, a former president, has announced plans to sue The New York Times. He is seeking a hefty $15 billion in damages. This claim amounts to more than 476 billion Thai baht. Trump states the lawsuit is for defamation and slander.
The former president shared his intentions on Truth Social, his social media platform. His post on Monday accused the newspaper of spreading falsehoods. “The New York Times has been allowed to lie, slander, and defame me freely for too long,” Trump wrote. He added, “This will end now!” He blames the Times for backing Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. He called the newspaper “a mouthpiece for the far-left Democratic Party.” Trump plans to file this new lawsuit in Florida. This state is often seen as a stronghold for Republicans.
This legal action fits a pattern. Trump has often expressed his displeasure with what he calls “left-wing media.” He believes these outlets have been unfair to him, especially during his time in office. In a follow-up post on Monday evening, Trump again criticized the Times. He highlighted their support for political rivals. He pointed out the paper’s “unprecedented” front-page backing for Kamala Harris. He also accused other news organizations and TV shows of “slandering” him. He claimed they use “highly sophisticated systems for altering documents and images.”
Past Legal Challenges
This isn’t the first time Trump has tried to sue The New York Times. In 2023, a judge threw out a previous case he filed against the paper. That lawsuit sought $100 million, or about 3.1 billion Thai baht. It claimed the newspaper and Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, “secretly conspired.” They allegedly worked together to share his tax information. That 2021 lawsuit was about a series of news reports. These stories about Trump’s finances had won a Pulitzer Prize. The judge ruled that the claims in the case “were not consistent with constitutional law.”
Trump also lost another defamation lawsuit in 2023. He had sued CNN for $475 million, which is around 15 billion Thai baht. He claimed the news network compared him to Adolf Hitler. A federal judge later dismissed that case as well.
Source: BBC