A judge in Florida has thrown out the $15 billion defamation lawsuit that U.S. President Donald Trump brought against The New York Times (NYT).
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U.S. District Court Judge Steven Merryday called President Trump’s lawsuit against The New York Times “improper” and “inexcusably” long. Judge Merryday also ruled that the lawsuit contained “superfluous” and “florid” allegations against the newspaper of record.
Despite the criticisms, Judge Merryday said that President Trump’s lawyers can refile a shortened and edited version of the lawsuit within the next month, if they choose to do so. The initial lawsuit accused The New York Times of serving as a “mouthpiece” for the Democrats and pitting the American president against one of the world’s oldest and most prominent news organizations.
Laudatory Statements
The 85-page lawsuit claimed that President Trump’s reputation was harmed by several Times articles that were published in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The Trump legal team further claimed that the articles are part of a “decades-long pattern by The New York Times of intentional and malicious defamation” against President Trump.
The lawsuit also claimed that The New York Times’ endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election was “deranged.” Judge Merryday disagreed with nearly all the assertions and took issue with what he called “laudatory statements” about President Trump, including his “historic election win,” and the “cultural magnitude” of his “singular brilliance,” as stated in the lawsuit.
Judge Merryday also called recitations of President Trump’s business and media track records, as well as negative language used to describe The New York Times, a “new low.” Representatives for the Times denied all wrongdoing and said President Trump’s lawsuit was without merit.
Is NYT Stock a Buy?
The New York Times Company’s stock has a Moderate Buy rating among seven Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on four Buy and three Hold recommendations issued in the last three months. The average NYT price target of $62 implies 5.17% upside from current levels.
