No matter if an amount is outrageous or legal arguments questionable, in Donald Trump's world, the headline matters more than the outcome. On Tuesday, September 15, the US president announced that he was filing a lawsuit against The New York Times, the country's leading newspaper, and demanding $15 billion (€12.7 billion) in damages. It was the president's second defamation suit against a major US media outlet this summer, after filing one against The Wall Street Journal for $10 billion in July.

Just as he did during his first term in the White House, Trump has made attacks on the media a recurring theme in his rhetoric. While most of his lawsuits had been dismissed in the past, the situation seems different in his second term in office, with the administration and the Department of Justice fully committed to his cause. He seems to be achieving results: While print media outlets have stood their ground, major television networks have preferred to back down.

The lawsuit against The New York Times, filed in Florida, concerns a series of articles published during the 2024 presidential campaign that challenged Trump's accomplishments, notably as a businessman and as host of the television show The Apprentice. The suit targets the media outlet, four reporters and Penguin Random House, which published a book by two of the journalists involved. "This lawsuit has no merit. It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting," The New York Times said in a statement. The amount demanded, $15 billion, represents seven times the newspaper's annual revenue.

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