Judge strikes down Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times

A federal judge on Friday rejected President Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The president sued the newspaper on Monday, alleging that the outlet’s reporting undermined his personal and political reputation. His 85-page complaint accused the news outlet of being a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party, taking particular issue with the paper’s endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. The newspaper described the lawsuit on Tuesday as a meritless attempt to stifle free media.

What was the judge’s rationale? U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday characterized Trump’s filing as improper and impermissible and ruled that it did not meet federal rules for filing a civil complaint. Federal law requires complaints to be short and plain, with alleged facts directly stated, Merryday wrote. The president’s filing is impermissible even with a lenient application of the rules, according to the ruling. Merryday, who was appointed by former President George H.W. Bush, further described Trump’s arguments as overly tedious. A federal complaint should not be used to get back at an adversary or serve as a megaphone for public relations, he added. Merryday gave Trump’s team about a month to refile a complaint with a maximum of 40 pages.

A spokesperson for The New York Times told WORLD on Friday the company appreciated the court’s swift ruling. The judge recognized Trump’s lawsuit as a political complaint rather than a serious court filing, the spokesperson added. Trump’s legal team plans to continue the litigation, CNN reported, citing a spokesperson for the president’s personal attorneys.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report for more background on the lawsuit.