President-elect Donald J. Trump has initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, citing “false and defamatory statements” in their recent works. The contention revolves around articles penned by Times reporters Peter Baker, Michael S. Schmidt, Susanne Craig, and Russ Buettner, as well as the book “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” co-written by Craig and Buettner.
A comprehensive ten-page letter, dispatched a week prior to the election by Trump’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, calls for $10 billion in damages and labels the statements as “despicable in their falsity.”
The letter particularly points out two articles by Buettner and Craig associated with their book. Additionally, it highlights an October 20, 2024 piece by Baker titled “For Trump, a Lifetime of Scandals Heads Toward a Moment of Judgment” and an October 22 article by Schmidt, “As Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator.”
The letter harks back to a time when the New York Times was hailed as the “newspaper of record,” renowned for its precision and objectivity. The letter alleges that this once esteemed reputation is now a relic. It accuses the Times of becoming a passionate advocate of the Democratic Party and alleges the paper often employs significant and intentional defamation tactics against its political rivals.
In response, the New York Times responded on October 31, directing attorney Paltzik to Penguin Random House to discuss any issues about the book. The Times reiterated its faith in the veracity of its reporting. A representative for the Times declined further comment, and Penguin Random House did not return requests for a statement.
This lawsuit is part of a broader effort by Donald Trump to contest and counteract media coverage he regards as prejudiced. On October 31, Paltzik also initiated a separate lawsuit against CBS News, alleging that an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes” had been selectively edited to depict her in a positive light. This lawsuit also requests $10 billion in damages. CBS has dismissed the lawsuit as “completely without merit” and pledged to mount a vigorous defense.
Simultaneously, a complaint was lodged with the Federal Election Commission against The Washington Post, claiming that the publication made illegal in-kind donations to Harris’ campaign through promoted stories. The Post maintains the claim is baseless.
On November 5, attorneys representing Trump campaign co-chief Chris LaCivita sent a letter to The Daily Beast demanding a correction and retraction over articles claiming LaCivita had “raked in” $22 million to aid in Trump’s reelection. The Daily Beast appended an editor’s note clarifying that the total sum was $19.2 million and that payments were directed to LaCivita’s LLC, not him personally. LaCivita’s attorney, Mark Geragos, sent another letter on November 12, stating that the editor’s note did not correct the overall narrative of the story.
These legal strategies have sparked worries among journalists about the potential impact on press freedom. Lawsuits can be expensive and drawn-out, leading some media outlets to consider settling to avoid lengthy legal disputes.
Trump’s legal battles with the media have included attempts to halt the release of critical books. In 2018, he tried to stop Henry Holt from publishing Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” and threatened legal action against Simon & Schuster over several titles.
“Lucky Loser,” published in September by Penguin Press, scrutinizes Trump’s financial history. It claims that he squandered his father’s fortune and generated an illusion of success. The book is characterized as “a scrupulous takedown of Trump’s competence and character.”
As Trump prepares to assume office once more, his encounters with the media are anticipated to persist, possibly influencing the state of press freedom and journalistic approaches in the United States.
