Trump Refiles $15B Defamation Lawsuit

President Donald Trump refiled a 40‑page, $15 billion defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida against The New York Times, several of its reporters and Penguin Random House. The amended complaint targets two 2024 Times articles and the book Lucky Loser, naming reporters Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner and Peter Baker (with Michael S. Schmidt noted in earlier versions), and alleges false, malicious statements about his business career, taxes and his role on The Apprentice. It seeks at least $15 billion in compensatory damages plus punitive damages and says the reporting harmed his businesses, including Truth Social. The refiling follows Judge Steven D. Merryday's order to shorten and reframe the original 85‑page complaint, which he rejected as “tedious and burdensome” and an improper political diatribe. The New York Times has called the suit meritless and an attempt to stifle independent reporting.