Donald Trump was granted permission to revise and refile his case. The lawsuit is one of several Trump has filed against various media outlets for their coverage on his personal conduct, business dealings, and alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Washington DC (US): A US judge on Friday, September 19 dismissed Donald Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times and several of its journalists, though the US president was granted permission to revise and refile his case, according to a court document. Filed earlier this week in a Florida district court, Trump’s suit accused the newspaper of serving as a “mouthpiece” for Democrats and publishing “false and defamatory” coverage of him. His lawyers pointed to several articles and a book by two of the paper’s journalists in the lead-up to the 2024 election as evidence. The filing also accused the paper of betraying journalistic ideals of accuracy and fairness, calling it “a leading, unapologetic purveyor of falsehoods” about Trump.
Trump Can Revise Petition
The judge ruled that Trump’s complaint failed to meet the federal requirement of presenting “a short plain statement” showing that he is entitled to relief. The court emphasized that such filings are not meant to serve as platforms for political attacks, noting that they cannot be used as “a public forum for vituperation and invective” or as a “protected stage to rage against an adversary.”
Trump has often turned to defamation lawsuits against media outlets and critics, not necessarily to prevail in court but to project grievances and pressure publishers. In recent years, he has filed suits against ABC, CBS, and the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, sometimes extracting settlements. Earlier in his career, he sued publications and even a Pulitzer-winning critic for unflattering commentary, though judges repeatedly dismissed such claims as constitutionally protected opinion. Legal experts say Trump’s latest action was unlikely to succeed under the Supreme Court’s landmark 1964 ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan, which requires public figures to prove that false statements were made knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth.
New York Times Coverage on Jeffrey Epstein
Among the documents unsealed from Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th-birthday scrapbook was a controversial cartoon-style sketch that allegedly came from Donald Trump. The drawing depicted a nude figure, with Trump’s signature worked into the illustration in a crude and suggestive way, along with a birthday greeting that wished Epstein a life of “wonderful secrets.” Trump has publicly denied creating or signing the message.
The New York Times covered the release of these materials, noting how the cartoon reignited scrutiny of Trump’s past ties to Epstein. The reporting highlighted how such discoveries can fuel both legal battles and political disputes. Trump’s subsequent lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal—which also reported on the birthday scrapbook—was widely seen as an attempt to push back against damaging associations while signaling to media companies that aggressive reporting on Epstein could invite retaliation.
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were once part of the same elite social circles in New York and Florida during the 1990s and early 2000s, attending parties together and being photographed at Mar-a-Lago. Trump at one point called Epstein a “terrific guy” but later claimed they had a falling-out and distanced himself, especially after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. Although Trump’s name has surfaced in Epstein’s calendars, photographs, and recently in a controversial “birthday message” found in Epstein’s files, he has never been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes and denies any wrongdoing.