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Libel and slander

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

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

US President Donald Trump has taken his animosity towards the media to the next level by filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The lawsuit, which names four New York Times reporters and the publisher Penguin Random House as defendants, alleges a "decades-long pattern" of intentional and malicious defamation against Trump. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for Florida's Middle District, accuses the Times of deviating from journalistic best practices and instead choosing to publish articles in a "most antagonistic and negative way" without giving Trump sufficient time to respond.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit claims The New York Times has engaged in a "decades-long pattern" of intentional and malicious defamation against Trump, with the Times being a "leading, and unapologetic, purveyor of falsehoods" against the president.
  • The complaint names four New York Times reporters, including Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig, as defendants, along with publisher Penguin Random House.
  • The lawsuit specifically cites three articles published by The New York Times between September and October last year, as well as a book by Buettner and Craig published around the same time.
  • The complaint alleges that Trump has suffered "actual malice" at the hands of The New York Times, which has allowed its journalists to "freely lie, smear, and defame" him.
  • Trump is seeking compensatory damages of not less than $15 billion, as well as additional punitive damages to be determined upon trial.
  • This is not Trump's first defamation lawsuit against a media outlet; he previously sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion, and Paramount over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show '60 Minutes'.

Statistics:

  • $15 billion: The amount of compensatory damages sought by Trump in the current lawsuit against The New York Times.
  • $10 billion: The minimum amount of damages sought by Trump in his previous lawsuit against media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal.
  • $16 million: The settlement amount reached between Trump and Paramount over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show '60 Minutes'.

Sources:

  • The New York Times: "Trump Threatens to Sue Over Article About Jeffery Epstein"
  • The Hill: "Trump sues Murdoch, Wall Street Journal for $10 billion"
  • CNN: "Trump settles CBS defamation lawsuit for $16 million"
  • Court document: "Donald J. Trump v. The New York Times Company" (no date provided)

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