Former US President Donald Trump has declared he is expanding his ongoing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times to incorporate what he describes as an "unfavorable" opinion poll. The announcement came via his Truth Social platform, where Trump frequently communicates with his supporters and critics alike.
Polling Dispute Added to Legal Battle
In a detailed post, Trump specifically targeted the Times Siena Poll, which he claims is "always tremendously negative" toward him. He stated that this polling data would now be included in his existing legal action against the newspaper. "The Times Siena Poll, which is always tremendously negative to me, especially just before the Election of 2024, where I won in a Landslide, will be added to my lawsuit against The Failing New York Times," Trump wrote.
He further elaborated that his legal team has demanded the preservation of all records related to how these poll results were "computed," alleging the methodology was heavily skewed toward Democratic respondents. Trump vowed that the publication would be "held fully responsible for all of their Radical Left lies and wrongdoing."
Accusations of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'
In subsequent social media posts, Trump escalated his criticism, accusing The New York Times and other media outlets of publishing polls they "knowingly" know to be false. He characterized their behavior as "deranged, and sick," suggesting they suffer from what he termed "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME (TDS)."
Trump also condemned the newspaper's election coverage as "so bad, and so wrong," claiming they "never get called out for it." He positioned his lawsuit as a corrective measure, stating: "But I am calling them out with the lawsuit that I have filed which is making its way through the Courts. They have to pay a price for FAKE AND FRAUDULENT NEWS and, hopefully, in the not too distant future, they will!"
Background of the Defamation Case
This development follows Trump's initial $15 billion defamation lawsuit filed last year against The New York Times, book publisher Penguin Random House, and two New York Times reporters. That original case was dismissed in September, but Trump filed an amended complaint in October, keeping the legal challenge alive.
The lawsuit, currently proceeding in federal court in Florida, centers on reporting about Trump's career and financial history. It specifically challenges articles published in The New York Times that detailed his work on the television show The Apprentice and information derived from the book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success by journalists Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner.
Core Legal Arguments
The amended complaint argues that describing Trump as having been "discovered" for The Apprentice is factually incorrect because he was already a well-known public figure before the show's inception. Additionally, it contests reporting about Trump's inheritance from his father, Fred C. Trump, which the lawsuit claims was inaccurately portrayed as stemming from "fraudulent tax evasion schemes." The filing also disputes characterizations of how Trump's father utilized federal programs designed to support returning World War II veterans.
This expansion of the lawsuit to include polling data represents a significant escalation in Trump's ongoing legal and media battles, highlighting the continued tensions between the former president and established news organizations as the political landscape evolves.
