Attorney Alejandro Brito, who is representing President Donald Trump in a newly filed $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, told Newsmax on Tuesday that the case is unlike previous actions Trump has taken against mainstream media outlets.
"It is different for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of the extent that we believe The New York Times went to in order to advocate against President Trump," Brito told "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
He said the timing of the coverage — in the weeks leading up to the 2024 election — and the volume of what the complaint described as misinformation and defamatory statements make this case unique.
The lawsuit alleges defamatory statements in three articles and in a book published by Times reporters before the election. According to Brito, the Times went "out of their way with actual malice to make defamatory and false statements about the president," including claims about Trump's business practices, personal wealth, and conduct.
Trump has a history of suing major media organizations, including CNN, ABC News, and CBS News. Trump achieved settlements against all three networks. Trump in July also filed a $10 billion libel lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch over a story the newspaper published about a letter he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein.
Brito emphasized that unlike earlier cases, this complaint details a coordinated campaign of "actual malice" and election interference.
"These allegations are not simply evidence of the fact that The New York Times doesn't like the president," Brito said. "They are evidence of false, malicious claims deliberately published to damage him."
The lawsuit is the latest effort by Trump to push back against media outlets he said have misrepresented him. Whether this case proceeds differently than earlier efforts will depend on how the court views Brito's claim that the Times' actions went beyond opinion journalism into provable defamation.
A spokesman for the Times and for Penguin Random House, which published the book by reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, reportedly called the lawsuit "meritless." Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger said in a note to staff Tuesday that the lawsuit was "frivolous," adding that "everyone, regardless of their politics, should be troubled by the growing anti-press campaign led by President Trump and his administration."
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