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The judge said that the complaint failed to contain a “short and plain statement of the claim.” Mr. Trump has 28 days to refile.
Sept. 19, 2025, 1:14 p.m. ET
A federal judge in Florida on Friday threw out President Trump’s defamation suit against The New York Times four days after it was filed, calling the complaint “improper and impermissible” in its present form.
The judge provided Mr. Trump’s lawyers with 28 days to file an amended complaint.
The lawsuit, which asked for $15 billion in damages, accused The Times and four of its reporters, as well as the book publisher Penguin Random House, of disparaging Mr. Trump’s reputation as a successful businessman.
But Judge Steven D. Merryday, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, said the president’s 85-page complaint was unnecessarily lengthy and digressive. He criticized Mr. Trump’s lawyers for waiting until the 80th page to lodge a formal allegation of defamation, and for including, ahead of it, dozens of “florid and enervating” pages lavishing praise on the president and enumerating a range of grievances.
“A complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective,” Judge Merryday wrote. “Not a protected platform to rage against an adversary.”
He said any revised complaint must be limited to 40 pages.
A spokesman for Mr. Trump’s legal team said in a statement: “President Trump will continue to hold the Fake News accountable through this powerhouse lawsuit against The New York Times, its reporters and Penguin Random House, in accordance with the judge’s direction on logistics.”
Representatives for The Times and Penguin Random House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Judge Merryday is an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.
