U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists, alleging a "decades-long pattern" of malicious falsehoods targeting him, including articles and a book published before the 2024 election.

The complaint, lodged Monday in the U.S. District Court in Florida, accuses the defendants of negligently or knowingly publishing false statements that defamed Trump and portrayed him as a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party. It references specific pieces, such as a pre-election editorial deeming him "unfit for office" and the 2024 book *Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success* by two Times reporters, claiming they form part of a deliberate smear campaign.

Trump, announcing the suit on Truth Social, called The New York Times a "virtual 'mouthpiece' for the Radical Left Democrat Party" and accused it of intentional defamation. The president has pursued similar actions against other outlets, including a $10 billion suit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch in July over Epstein-related reporting.

A New York Times spokesperson dismissed the claims as meritless, stating the newspaper "would not be deterred by intimidation tactics" and that the lawsuit aims to suppress independent journalism. The case, assigned to a judge, could extend into 2026, testing press freedoms amid Trump's ongoing legal battles.