NY Times defends reporting against Trump's defamation claims

Source: Courthouse News Service

September 16, 2025


(CN) — The New York Times struck back Tuesday against President Donald Trump, who claims the paper defamed him during last year’s election season. “This lawsuit has no merit. It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting," a spokesperson for the newspaper said in a statement.

“The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.” In Monday’s lawsuit, Trump argued the newspaper timed stories containing disparaging statements about him to come out at the height of election season to inflict maximum electoral damage and economic harm against him.

Trump claims that to win the presidency in 2024, he had to overcome “persistent election interference from the legacy media,” which he said was led by The New York Times, as “a full-throated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party.” In his complaint, Trump points to the newspaper’s front-page endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and an opinion piece titled “The only patriotic choice for president.” He describes it as “deranged.”

Trump names Times reporters Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt as defendants. Penguin Random House was also named for publishing a book titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” which Buettner and Craig co-wrote.

Read more: https://courthousenews.com/ny-times-defends-reporting-against-trumps-defamation-claims/