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The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has once again filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, after a federal judge dismissed the previous version due to its excessive length.
The new lawsuit was filed on Thursday with the Middle District Court of Florida, in Tampa, and includes allegations against the newspaper, three of its journalists, and the publisher Penguin Random House, which Trump blames for publishing a book that, according to him, spreads false claims about his wealth and business management, reported Fox News.
The president's legal team claims that The New York Times committed defamation in two articles published in 2024 and in the book “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success”, written by reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner.
Both journalists, along with Peter Baker and the publisher itself, are listed as defendants.
The journalist Michael S. Schmidt, who had been included in the first version of the lawsuit, was removed from the new document, which now complies with the 40-page limit set by the judge, after the original text of 85 pages was rejected.
"President Trump continues to hold the fake news media accountable with this powerful lawsuit against the New York Times, its reporters, and Penguin Random House," said a spokesperson for his legal team in statements to Fox News Digital.
Trump claims 15 billion dollars in compensation, as well as punitive damages, arguing that the publications affected his reputation and were part of what he considers a systematic defamation campaign during and after his presidency.
A spokesperson for The New York Times rejected the accusations and described the lawsuit as "groundless and without merit."
“Nothing has changed today. This is just another attempt to intimidate the independent press and generate media attention. The Times will not be intimidated,” said the newspaper's representative.
On its part, a spokesperson from Penguin Random House stated that “this second lawsuit is equally unfounded” and reaffirmed the publisher’s support for the authors and “the fundamental principles of the First Amendment.”
The lawsuit against the New York Times adds to a series of legal actions taken by Trump against major U.S. media outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, and The Wall Street Journal, for alleged defamation and misinformation.
The former president has already secured multimillion-dollar agreements with some of these media outlets. Last December, ABC News paid 15 million dollars and issued a public apology after erroneously stating that Trump had been “found guilty of rape” instead of “sexual abuse.” The network also took on an additional million in legal costs.
In July, the conglomerate Paramount Global, owner of CBS, agreed to a payment of up to 30 million dollars to settle a lawsuit from Trump over “electoral interference” related to an interview aired on the 60 Minutes program with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
In this new legal action, Trump alleges that the Times reports about his role as a star of the show The Apprentice and about alleged irregular tax maneuvers constitute malicious defamation intended to damage his public and political image.
The president insists that The New York Times has maintained a "biased and politicized" coverage since before his arrival at the White House and that "the corrupt press must be held accountable under the law."
The case will be evaluated in the coming weeks by the federal court in Tampa. Legal experts anticipate a lengthy process, with possible appeals if the court decides to dismiss the lawsuit again.
Meanwhile, the case reinforces Trump's strategy of portraying himself as a victim of the media and maintaining a narrative of direct confrontation with traditional journalism, which has been a constant in his political discourse since 2016.
This week, the leader launched an attack against Times magazine for publishing what he deemed "the worst photo" of himself "in history."
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