U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a $15-billion lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its reporters, and publishing giant Penguin Random House. The lawsuit, filed Monday in a Florida federal court, accuses the media outlets of defamation, libel, and reputational harm linked to a series of articles and a 2024 book that Trump’s legal team claims were filled with “malicious fabrications.”

This latest legal battle comes as Trump seeks to consolidate his political power ahead of the 2024 presidential election, while continuing his aggressive campaign against media organizations he has long labeled as “fake news.”

According to the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Trump’s lawsuit centers on two primary targets:

Trump’s lawyers allege that both publications were deliberately misleading, with the intent to damage his business empire, political prospects, and personal reputation.

“The defendants maliciously published the book and the articles knowing that they contained distortions and fabrications about President Trump,” the filing states.

Neither The New York Times nor Penguin Random House has issued a formal response to the lawsuit.

Trump’s legal team argues that the alleged defamation has caused massive financial harm, particularly to the president’s brand value and future business opportunities. One specific example cited in the complaint is the decline in stock value of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind his social media platform Truth Social.

“The harm to the value of TMTG stock is one example of how the defendants’ defamation has injured President Trump,” the lawsuit claims.

TMTG’s stock price has faced recent pressure, partly due to the expiration of a lock-up period following its market debut earlier this year.

This is not Trump’s first high-profile legal clash with major media outlets. Over the past year, he has escalated lawsuits against several organizations, signaling a broader crackdown on what he calls biased and misleading reporting.

Trump himself took to Truth Social to frame the latest lawsuit as part of his broader battle against the press:

“Today, I have the great honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times. They have lied about me, my family, my businesses, and the America First Movement,” Trump wrote.

The timing of this lawsuit is notable. Just last week, Trump threatened to sue The New York Times over its reporting on a sexually suggestive note and drawing allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019.

While Trump has long insisted he severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s legal troubles began in 2006, Democrats recently released a letter purportedly signed by Trump for Epstein’s birthday. This disclosure further fueled political debate and media scrutiny.

Trump’s $15-billion lawsuit underscores his strategy of using the courts to fight unfavorable media narratives, a tactic that energizes his political base while putting pressure on journalists and publishers.

The stakes are high:

Either way, the case adds another chapter to Trump’s complex and combative relationship with the press — a dynamic that has defined much of his political career.