Overview

• U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday dismissed the complaint without prejudice, writing that a complaint is not a megaphone for publicity or a forum for insults.
• Trump has 28 days to submit a shorter filing that complies with pleading rules, with the judge capping any revised complaint at 40 pages.
• The suit seeks $15 billion and targets the New York Times, four of its journalists—including Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner—and Penguin Random House over three 2024 articles and a related book.
• The New York Times called the case baseless and an attempt to suppress independent reporting, pledging to continue its journalism without intimidation.
• The case fits a broader pattern of Trump’s media litigation, including a July lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal and prior multimillion-dollar settlements with ABC and CBS, raising press-freedom concerns among critics.