Trump Refiles Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

President Trump has refiled his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and several of its reporters, just days after a federal judge threw out the original 85-page complaint as unnecessarily lengthy and discursive. The president claims the news organization sought to defame him during the 2024 election and disparage his reputation as a businessman. Trump's revised legal filing, which is 40 pages long, asks for $15 billion in damages and names Penguin Random House as a defendant. This is the latest in a series of actions against major news outlets, following settlements with CBS News and ABC News.

Key Takeaways:

• The original 85-page complaint was dismissed by Judge Steven D. Merryday for being "unnecessarily discursive" and "laden with florid and enervating" prose.
• Trump's revised complaint is 40 pages long, a significant reduction in length.
• The defendant list has been revised, with Times reporter Michael S. Schmidt no longer being named.
• The amended complaint still seeks $15 billion in damages, the same amount as the original complaint.
• Trump's lawsuit is one of several actions against major news outlets, including CBS News and ABC News.
• Trump's complaint argues that The Times sought to undermine his reputation as a successful businessman and television star of "The Apprentice."

Statistics:

• The original complaint was 85 pages long, while the revised complaint is 40 pages long.
• The amount of damages sought in the revised complaint is $15 billion, the same as the original complaint.
• Trump has been involved in three defamation lawsuits against The Times: this one, a suit in 2021 over an article on his financial history, and a suit in 2020 over an Opinion essay.

Sources:

• Judge Steven D. Merryday, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida;
• The New York Times;
• Penguin Random House;
• CBS News;
• ABC News;
• President George H.W. Bush (for information on Judge Merryday's appointment).