US President Donald Trump has announced his plans to sue The New York Times (NYT) for $15 billion. The lawsuit, which was announced on Monday, will be filed in Florida on charges of accusations of defamation and libel. Trump claims that the newspaper has engaged in years of false reporting with the intent to damage his reputation, his family, and his businesses.

The latest legal battle follows an NYT report that connected Trump to a controversial handwritten note and drawing given to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday in 2003. The document seemed to have Trump’s signature on it, but both the US President and his aides have rejected any connection to the item, calling it fabricated. Trump’s planned lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions against major media organisations. Over the past few years, he has filed several lawsuits, some of which have been successful while others were dismissed, as part of what he calls a campaign to “restore integrity to journalism.”

Trump revealed the lawsuit on Truth Social, his social media platform, in a post made late at night. In the message, he sharply criticised the news outlet for what he sees as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. “Today, I have the Great Honour of bringing a $15 billion Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times,” Trump wrote. “The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!”

He also criticised the newspaper’s decision to endorse Kamala Harris during the 2024 US presidential election, which he won. Trump expressed his anger that the endorsement was placed prominently on the paper's front page, writing, “Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead centre on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!”

According to Trump, the lawsuit will be filed in Florida, a state where he has strong political support. He has previously filed lawsuits in Florida courts against other major media outlets, including ABC News and CBS. While Trump’s announcement did not go into detail about the specific legal arguments, he accused the NYT of systematically creating falsehoods and acting as “a mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party.” He also claimed that media organisations use “a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration” to misrepresent facts and smear him, though he did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

Trump has previously criticised media outlets for reporting on his past interactions with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. Earlier this year, Trump also sued The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion, alleging defamation over a separate story about his connections to Epstein. That case is still ongoing.

Trump has framed his ongoing legal battles as part of a larger mission to challenge what he considers to be deep-seated media bias. By filing lawsuits against major networks, newspapers, and journalists, he has tried to present himself as a defender of truth and accountability.

In his Truth Social posts, Trump has accused several outlets of deliberately twisting coverage through advanced technological manipulation. While he has not provided any specific evidence, his statements resonate with his supporters, many of whom believe that mainstream media outlets are working against his administration. These lawsuits also serve as a political tool, allowing Trump to highlight what he sees as double standards and to rally his base before the 2028 election cycle.

Legal analysts expect the NYT defamation case to face major challenges due to the high burden of proof required in defamation cases involving public figures. The NYT has not yet given a detailed public response to Trump’s latest claims.

In past disputes, the newspaper has consistently defended its reporting as accurate and protected by the First Amendment. As the case moves forward, it will be added to a crowded list of ongoing legal cases involving Trump, including his unresolved cases against The Wall Street Journal.