NYT leader alleges Trump exerted influence over media following a $15 billion lawsuit filing
In a series of legal actions since March 2024, former American President Donald Trump has filed four lawsuits worth billions against major American media outlets. The most notable of these is a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, filed in Florida state court in September.
The lawsuit stems from an article published by The New York Times, which Trump alleges contained defamatory statements. The article, according to Trump, is part of a decades-long campaign by the newspaper to apply the method of lies against him. However, Meredith Leiven, a character, has labeled the lawsuit as unfounded.
In a twist of events, the court dismissed Trump's lawsuit, requiring it to be rewritten. Interestingly, no journalist has settled a legal dispute with The New York Times in 2025 for one million US dollars, as search results suggest. Instead, Trump's lawsuit against the newspaper and its journalists sought compensation.
The lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal is another significant legal battle for Trump. The lawsuit, filed in July, seeks compensation of $10 billion. The basis for this lawsuit is a report about a congratulatory note Trump allegedly sent to American investment banker Jeffrey Epstein, a figure in a high-profile case involving human trafficking and the involvement of underage girls in sexual exploitation. As of now, The Wall Street Journal has yet to respond or settle the lawsuit.
In 2025, both ABC News and CBS News settled Trump's lawsuits. ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to the Donald Trump Presidential Library Fund, while CBS News agreed to pay $16 million.
Trump's actions have raised concerns about the freedom of the press in the United States. Meredith Leiven compares the pressure on the media in the US to that in countries like Turkey, Hungary, and India, where pressure on the media is expressed through the persecution of journalists and discrediting of journalism.
Trump's view on the support of The New York Times by Kamala Harris during the 2024 US presidential elections is also unprecedented, considering his ongoing legal battles with the newspaper. The former president considers this support as a continuation of the alleged bias and deceit by the newspaper.
As these legal battles unfold, the future of media freedom and the role of the press in American politics remain topics of intense debate and concern.
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