Overview

• U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday struck the 85-page filing for violating pleading rules that require a short, plain statement of claims.
• The four-page order criticized the complaint’s florid, repetitive rhetoric, writing that a legal filing is not a “megaphone for public relations.”
• Any amended complaint is capped at 40 pages, with the judge noting the original did not reach its first defamation count until page 80.
• The New York Times called the case meritless and an attempt to chill reporting, and its leaders said the paper will not settle.
• A Trump legal spokesperson said the president plans to refile, with the suit targeting Times reporters and Penguin Random House over pre‑election articles and a book.