<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has announced he will file a $US15 billion ($22 billion) lawsuit against </span><em><span>The New York Times</span></em><span>, alleging defamation and libel, and accusing the outlet of being a "virtual mouthpiece" for the Democrat party. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> Trump had threatened last week to sue the </span><em><span>Times</span></em><span> after it published articles related to a sexually suggestive note and drawing that was given to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 and appears to have been signed by Trump. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump and his aides have denied that he was involved in the creation of the note.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/centrelink-payments-changes-2025-new-rates-september-20-everything-to-know-explained/7ad1411a-7f1e-4e0d-b1dd-c1dd45803dd6" rel="" target="" title="Millions of Australians to get cash boost this Friday"><strong><span>Millions of Australians to get cash boost this Friday</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a post overnight on his social media platform, Truth Social, the president accused the Times of making false statements about him, his family and his businesses, though he did not elaborate on the allegations. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> "Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against </span><em><span>The New York Times</span></em><span>," Trump wrote. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> "</span><em><span>The New York Times</span></em><span> has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!" he added, while singling out the </span><em><span>Times</span></em><span>' endorsement of Kamala Harris during the last presidential election in 2024. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-sues-new-york-times/21a3645c-0ec0-4252-bcd8-4ab528f42764" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> The lawsuit is the latest in a series of high-profile legal challenges mounted by Trump against major media outlets in what he describes as a broader effort to "restore integrity to journalism". </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> The lawsuit would be filed in Florida, Trump said, without providing further details. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> CNN reached out to </span><em><span>The New York Times</span></em><span> for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> In a complaint filed in a Tampa federal court, Trump's lawyers accused the </span><em><span>Times </span></em><span>of a deliberate pattern of "false, malicious, defamatory, and disparaging" reporting aimed at undermining Trump's presidential campaign and legacy. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> The filing cites previous examples of lawsuits brought by Trump's lawyers against Disney's ABC News and Paramount Global's CBS News, which resulted in multimillion-dollar payouts and public acknowledgments of inaccuracies in their reporting. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> It also cited a lawsuit brought in July against </span><em><span>The Wall Street Journal </span></em><span>and reporters who wrote a story about the collection of letters gifted to Epstein. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal's parent company, said in a statement at the time, "We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> In the latest lawsuit against the </span><em><span>Times</span></em><span>, Trump's lawyers say the "reputational injury inflicted in this case reaches billions of dollars" and confirms they are seeking at least $US15 billion in damages.</span><em><span> </span></em><span></span></div></div>