Donald J. Trump, the President-elect, has launched a $10 billion legal action against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, accusing them of publishing “false and defamatory statements.” The legal action focuses on articles written by Times journalists 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-authored by Craig and Buettner.
The President-elect’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, sent a ten-page letter a week before the election asking for $10 billion in damages. Paltzik described the statements as deplorable due to their untruthfulness.
The legal challenge specifically relates to two articles by Buettner and Craig linked to their book, a piece by Baker published on October 20, 2024, titled “For Trump, a Lifetime of Scandals Heads Toward a Moment of Judgment” and an article by Schmidt, “As Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator,” published on October 22.
Reflecting on the past when the New York Times was considered the “newspaper of record,” trusted for its precision and fairness, the letter suggests that the publication’s prestigious reputation is now lost. It accuses the Times of being a strong proponent of the Democratic Party, employing intentional and significant defamation tactics against its political rivals.
In response, the New York Times responded on October 31, instructing attorney Paltzik to direct any issues regarding the book to Penguin Random House. The Times reiterated confidence in the validity of its reporting. A representative for the Times declined to comment further, and Penguin Random House did not respond to requests for a statement.
These legal actions are part of Trump’s broader campaign against media coverage he views as prejudiced. On October 31, Paltzik also initiated a separate lawsuit against CBS News, alleging that a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was selectively edited to depict her in a positive light. This lawsuit also demands $10 billion in damages. CBS has dismissed the lawsuit as baseless and has pledged to defend stoutly.
On the same day, a complaint was lodged with the Federal Election Commission against The Washington Post, alleging that the publication made illegal in-kind contributions to Harris’s campaign through promoted articles. The Post insists the claims are baseless.
On November 5, attorneys representing Trump campaign co-chief Chris LaCivita demanded that The Daily Beast correct and retract articles claiming LaCivita had garnered $22 million to aid Trump’s re-election campaign. The Daily Beast added an editor’s note to clarify that the correct amount was $19.2 million and that payments were made to LaCivita’s LLC, not to him personally. LaCivita’s attorney, Mark Geragos, sent another letter on November 12, asserting that the editor’s note did not rectify the overall narrative of the story.
Journalists have raised concerns about these legal actions’ potential to discourage press freedom. Legal battles can be expensive and prolonged, leading some news outlets to contemplate settlements to avoid protracted litigation.
Trump has a history of attempting to block critical books’ publication by taking legal action against media outlets. In 2018, he tried to prevent Henry Holt from publishing Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” and threatened to sue Simon & Schuster over several titles.
“Lucky Loser,” published in September by Penguin Press, scrutinizes Trump’s financial history. The book claims that Trump squandered his father’s fortune and created a false impression of success. The book has been characterized as “a scrupulous takedown of Trump’s competence and character.”
As Trump prepares to take office again, his disputes with the media are likely to persist, possibly affecting press freedom and journalistic practices throughout the United States.