Trump plans $15 bln defamation lawsuit against New York Times
3 Min Read
Trump alleges NYT misrepresented his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Republican movements as he vows a massive libel case to defend his name.
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A police officer stands guard outside The New York Times building in New York, on June 28, 2018. (AP)
US President Donald Trump announced Monday that he plans to file a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times for defamation and libel, following the paper’s recent reporting on his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The announcement comes days after Trump threatened legal action over an NYT article referencing a sexually suggestive note and drawing allegedly linked to Epstein.
Trump accused the newspaper of fabricating stories about him, his family, and his businesses, as well as misrepresenting Republican-led movements, including “America First” and “Make America Great Again.”
He said the lawsuit would be filed in Florida but offered no additional details.
Trump's Epstein denial backfires as pressure mounts over files
The controversy surrounding US President Donald Trump and his alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein refuses to fade, despite repeated denials from the White House.
During a tense press briefing last Tuesday, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, dismissed documents released by Epstein’s estate that appear to show Trump’s signature and a typewritten birthday message inserted into a sketch of a nude woman.
“The president has one of the most famous signatures in the world. The president did not write that letter. He did not sign those documents,” Leavitt insisted.
When the #Epstein files came knocking, #US President Donald Trump brought out memes, polls, and Coca-Cola.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 24, 2025
The New York Times tracked it all; swipe to see Scandal Dodging 101: The #Trump way.#TrumpEpstein pic.twitter.com/aPvfvOJIio
But reporters, including Maggie Haberman of The New York Times, pressed further, asking why Trump’s name appeared if the documents were inauthentic.
Legal battles over Epstein
In July, Trump launched a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for reporting on the birthday book and letter. Legal experts say the case could backfire, as it may force Trump to testify under oath about his ties to Epstein.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has released transcripts of its July interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted associate. In the interview, Maxwell claimed Trump was “never inappropriate with anybody.” Shortly after, she was moved from a Florida prison to a lower-security facility in Texas, a move critics say raises more questions.
White House pushback fails to convince
Trump’s team has circulated images of his signature over the years to argue that the Epstein documents are forged. Yet critics remain unconvinced.
Leavitt told reporters that the broader controversy was a “hoax perpetuated by Democrats," accusing the opposition of exploiting victims of crime for political gain.
But with Democrats pushing aggressively for the release of the full Epstein files, and Trump’s own supporters demanding transparency, the strategy appears to be backfiring.
