A federal judge in Tampa rejected President Donald Trumpâs $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) on Friday, labeling the filing as âdecidedly improper.â 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 âLucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Fatherâs Fortune and Created the Illusion of Successâ, written by Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner. Trump accused the newspaper of serving as a âmouthpieceâ for the Democratic Party and making illegal campaign contributions, according to CNBC.
Trump Claims Victory Despite Dismissal
After the dismissal, Trump told ABC News, âIâm winning, Iâm winning the cases,â before criticizing ABC and NBC as âterribleâ networks.
Judge Merryday pointed out that the complaint focused more on âboastingâ 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 â60 Minutesâ 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 âsecret side dealâ with Paramount.
Trumpâs legal spokesperson confirmed continued pursuit of the âpowerhouse lawsuitâ in accordance with the judgeâs direction, emphasizing holding âFake News accountable.â
According to the reports, NYT dismissed the original complaint as âa political document rather than a serious legal filing,â welcoming the judgeâs quick ruling that recognized the complaintâs political nature over legal substance.
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