**Trump’s $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times and Penguin Random House Dismissed**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | September 20, 2025, 04:20 PM*
A U.S. judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against *The New York Times* and Penguin Random House, while allowing him the option to file an amended complaint.
**Lawsuit Dismissal**
The case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday in Florida, who criticized Trump’s complaint as “decidedly improper” and filled with “vituperation and invective.” The judge noted that the lawsuit violated civil procedure rules because it was overly lengthy and failed to get to the point.
Judge Merryday specifically faulted the complaint for being excessively detailed and repetitive, pointing out that it spanned 85 pages but included only two counts of defamation. He described the filing as “decidedly improper and impermissible,” even under a lenient interpretation of Rule 8. The order did not address the truthfulness of the allegations or the validity of the claims, emphasizing instead that a complaint should not serve as a place for an exhaustive aggregation of evidence or arguments.
**Details of the Lawsuit**
Trump’s lawsuit targeted articles published by *The New York Times* and Penguin Random House. These articles covered his role on the television show *The Apprentice* and excerpts from the book *Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success*.
Trump contended that he was wrongly portrayed as being “discovered” for *The Apprentice*, despite his established fame prior to the show. The lawsuit also challenged reporting in the book that described his inheritance as stemming from “fraudulent tax evasion schemes” and alleged that his father manipulated federal programs to build his fortune.
Additional claims in the suit included accusations of false reporting regarding Trump’s conduct in school, the value of real estate deals, and investigations related to mafia ties and money laundering. The lawsuit further accused *The New York Times* of betraying journalistic ethics and serving as a “mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party.
**Response from The New York Times**
A spokesperson for *The New York Times* dismissed the lawsuit as meritless and described it as an attempt to suppress independent reporting. They stated, “*The New York Times* will not be deterred by intimidation tactics.”
Penguin Random House has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
**Next Steps**
Judge Merryday has granted Trump the opportunity to refile an amended complaint within 28 days, limiting the new filing to 40 pages.
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*This dismissal marks a significant development in the ongoing legal confrontations between former President Trump and major media organizations.*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/world/why-trump-s-lawsuit-against-nyt-and-penguin-was-dismissed/story