President-elect Donald Trump has initiated a series of lawsuits against prominent media organizations and publishers, demanding $10 billion in damages for defamation and bias.
The lawsuits target The New York Times and Penguin Random House, accusing them of publishing defamatory material about Trump’s business legacy and political career.
Trump’s legal team, led by lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik, claims the media outlets have spread “industrial-scale libel” through articles and a book critical of Trump.
The lawsuit specifically mentions articles by journalists Peter Baker, Michael S. Schmidt, Susanne Craig, and Russ Buettner, and the book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success. The former president argues that these publications deliberately disparage his success and political ambitions.
The New York Times has dismissed the allegations, asserting its reporting is evidence-based and accurate. Penguin Random House has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
In addition to the case against The New York Times, Trump’s legal team has filed lawsuits against other outlets.
A brief against CBS News accuses the broadcaster of election interference, claiming it edited an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to mislead viewers. CBS News has denied the accusations, calling the lawsuit “completely without merit.”
Trump’s campaign has also taken legal action against The Daily Beast over a misreported fundraising story, and filed complaints with the Federal Election Commission against The Washington Post for alleged improper contributions to Harris’s campaign. The Washington Post has rejected these claims as baseless.
Media advocacy groups have raised concerns, condemning the lawsuits as an attack on press freedom.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the lawsuits a “clear and direct danger to media freedom,” while Reporters Without Borders warned that the hostile media climate under Trump’s first presidency could worsen in his second term.
Trump, known for his long-standing criticism of the press, has escalated his rhetoric since his re-election, labeling media outlets as the “enemy camp.”
These legal actions further fuel concerns about the future of journalistic independence and the balance between media accountability and press freedom.
