A federal judge has struck down former U.S. President Donald Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, a case that accused the paper of defamation and election interference. The ruling, delivered by Judge Steven D. Merryday of the Middle District of Florida, criticized the filing as improper under Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, citing its length, tone, and political rhetoric. The complaint stretched across 85 pages, with defamation counts not appearing until page 80. The ...

ToplinePresident Donald Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times was thrown out Friday, with a federal judge finding the complaint to be too long for the two counts of defamation it sought to prove.The judge's decision was issued Friday. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsDistrict Judge Steven Merryday wrote the lawsuit “stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8,” which calls for complaints to have “simple, concise, and direct” allegations that o ...

U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to announce an agreement with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) between the two countries, at Chequers at the conclusion of a state visit on Sept. 18, 2025 in Aylesbury, Britain.A federal judge in Tampa, Florida, on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times as "decidedly improper and impermissible," but will allow Trump to refile a much shorter and less florid amended civil complaint within the ne ...

Core Points - President Donald Trump is suing The New York Times for defamation and libel, seeking $15 billion in damages [1] - The lawsuit was filed in the Tampa division of the Middle District of Florida by Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, who has previously represented Trump in similar cases [2] - The lawsuit claims that the Times has engaged in a long-term pattern of malicious defamation against Trump, labeling the newspaper as a "mouthpiece of the Democrat Party" [7] Summary by Sections Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit accuses The New York Times and four of its journalists of attempting to destroy Trump's reputation and subjecting him to humiliation [2] - Specific articles and a book titled "Lucky Loser" by Times reporters are cited as part of the defamation [2] Previous Legal Actions - This is not the first lawsuit Trump has filed against The New York Times; a previous case in 2021 was dismissed, resulting in Trump owing the Times $392,638.69 in legal fees [9]