U.S. President Donald Trump has refiled a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, weeks after a federal judge dismissed an earlier version of the case for being overly verbose and self-promotional.
According to court documents filed in Florida on Thursday, the new complaint spans 40 pages less than half the length of the 85-page version rejected in September by District Judge Steven Merryday.
Judge Merryday had criticised the previous filing for its “florid writing,” “repetitive” style, and “laudatory praise” of Trump, saying it resembled a political rally speech rather than a legal document.
In the new filing, Trump accused The New York Times, three of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House of spreading “false, defamatory, and malicious” statements that allegedly damaged his image.
“The statements in question wrongly defame and disparage President Trump’s hard-earned professional reputation, which he painstakingly built for decades before entering the White House,” the lawsuit claimed.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, is demanding at least $15 billion in compensatory damages, plus additional punitive damages “to be determined upon trial.”
The lawsuit cites two New York Times articles and a book as the key materials that, according to Trump, were published “with actual malice” a crucial legal requirement for defamation cases involving public figures.
The new suit deepens Trump’s long-running war with the American press.
Since his return to office, he has repeatedly accused major media outlets of bias and has filed several lawsuits against journalists and media corporations.
In July 2025, Trump sued Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for $10 billion, alleging defamation over reports linking him to a letter sent to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
That same month, Paramount Global reportedly settled a separate lawsuit from Trump over CBS News’ 60 Minutes segment for $16 million, after he accused the network of deceptively editing an interview to favor Vice President Kamala Harris.
As of press time, The New York Times had not issued an official response to the latest filing.
