Trump sues PRH, New York Times

US President Donald Trump is suing Penguin Random House (PRH), along with the New York Times (NYT) and several of its reporters for ‘disparagement’, reported Publishers Weekly (PW) yesterday.

Among reporters named in the lawsuit – which is filed in Florida and seeks a minimum of US$15 billion (A$22.4 billion) in damages – are Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker and Michael S Schmidt.

The suit references Buettner and Craig’s book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success (Bodley Head, 2024) and ‘alleges the publishers and reporters sought to undermine the president’s election campaign in 2024,’ according to PW.

Both PRH and the NYT have called the lawsuit meritless.

As quoted in PW, a spokesperson for PRH said, ‘Penguin Random House stands by the book and its authors and will continue to uphold the values of the First Amendment that are fundamental to our role as a book publisher,’ while the NYT said, ‘The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favour and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.’

Category: International news