Judge Tosses Trump's $15 Billion Case Against New York Times, President Claims He's 'Winning'

Mohd Haider

September 20, 2025

A federal judge in Tampa rejected President Donald Trump‘s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) on Friday, labeling the filing as “decidedly improper.” Judge Steven Merryday gave Trump 28 days to resubmit the lawsuit, with a 40-page limit.

The lawsuit targets the NYT, four of its reporters, and Penguin Random House over the book ‘Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success‘, written by Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner. Trump accused the newspaper of serving as a “mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party and making illegal campaign contributions, according to CNBC.

Trump Claims Victory Despite Dismissal

After the dismissal, Trump told ABC News, “I’m winning, I’m winning the cases,” before criticizing ABC and NBC as “terrible” networks.

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Judge Merryday pointed out that the complaint focused more on “boasting” than providing substantial legal arguments.

Pattern of Media Litigation

This lawsuit is part of Trump's ongoing legal battles with major media companies. In July, he filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against News Corp (NASDAQ:NWSA) (NASDAQ:NWS) over a report linking him to Jeffrey Epstein's birthday greetings in 2003.

Trump also secured a $16 million settlement from Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, though the company didn't apologize or admit wrongdoing. The settlement led Sen. Elizabeth Warren to call for an investigation into Trump's alleged “secret side deal” with Paramount.

Trump’s legal spokesperson confirmed continued pursuit of the “powerhouse lawsuit” in accordance with the judge’s direction, emphasizing holding “Fake News accountable.”

According to the reports, NYT dismissed the original complaint as “a political document rather than a serious legal filing,” welcoming the judge’s quick ruling that recognized the complaint’s political nature over legal substance.

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