United States President Donald Trump said he plans to sue the New York Times for US$15 billion (A$22.5 billion) over defamation and libel.
In a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the newspaper is being used as a “virtual mouthpiece” for the “Radical Left Democratic Party” while also accusing it of making false accusations about him, his family and business.
“The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!” Trump said.
In a follow-up post, Trump said he was getting “amazing feedback” on his lawsuit.
“The predominant feeling and sentiment is, “IT’S ABOUT TIME!” The case was filed in the Great State of Florida! The Radical Left Media is working hard to destroy the U.S.A. We are going to stop them at each and every level!!!” he said.
Despite his claims, a spokesperson for The Times said the lawsuit lacks any “legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.”
“The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favour and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people,” the spokesperson told NBC News in a statement.
This comes after Trump threatened to sue The Times for its reporting of a sexually aggressive note and drawing that he allegedly gave to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The White House has denied that Trump was involved in the creation of the note and claimed that it was fabricated.
Trump’s lawsuit against The Times follows a string of left-leaning media outlets Trump has targeted during his presidency.
This includes the Wall Street Journal for also reporting on his alleged connection to Epstein for $10 billion.
He also filed suits against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos, as well as Paramount over its “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, which Trump claimed included “deceptive tampering”. These cases ended in $15 million and $16 million settlements, respectively.
Some news organisations have also taken legal action against the President to push back against what they called retaliatory actions and encroachments on press freedom.
