US President Donald Trump filed a $15 bln lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming the newspaper spread false information about him, his family, his business, and his political movement. According to Trump, the paper’s publications, along with a 2024 book, undermined his reputation and triggered the collapse of the TRUMP crypto token’s value.
Defamation Allegations and “Illegal Campaigning”
In an official statement posted on Truth Social, Donald Trump called The New York Times “one of the most degenerative newspapers in the country’s history” and accused it of effectively becoming a mouthpiece for the US Democratic Party. He said the outlet’s endorsement of Kamala Harris’s candidacy was the largest violation of campaign finance rules in history.
Trump claimed that The New York Times had published false information about him and his associates for decades. He called it “legalized defamation” and stated that he was no longer willing to tolerate it. The lawsuit was filed in a Florida state court.
Connection to the Decline of the TRUMP Token
In the lawsuit, Trump directly linked the publication’s actions to the decline in TRUMP token capitalization. After launching in January 2025, the memecoin reached a valuation of $73 bln, but its price later crashed by 88% to the current $8.6. According to Trump, negative media coverage affected the token’s perception and caused direct damage to his business.
The filing also emphasized that the publications undermined trust in his Truth Social platform and its related projects, which had been expanding based on his political capital.
Claims Against Other Media Outlets
Trump compared the lawsuit against The New York Times to previous cases he brought against other media companies, including ABC, Disney, CBS, Paramount, and the “60 Minutes” program. He recalled legal disputes at the end of 2024 that involved journalist George Stephanopoulos and other figures accused of falsification and visual manipulation.
Trump Family Income From Crypto Assets
According to Bloomberg, despite the reported losses, the Trump family earned around $1.3 bln in recent months from two crypto projects. World Liberty Financial and American Bitcoin Corp. generated the bulk of these funds.
In September 2025, World Liberty Financial launched public trading of the WLFI token, bringing in $670 mln for the family. The deal with ALT5 Sigma additionally included $750 mln in tokens and another $750 mln in cash — Bloomberg estimated the total profit at $670 mln with potential for future growth.
American Bitcoin Corp., created in March, specializes in bitcoin mining. After listing on Nasdaq, its shares surged. Eric Trump’s stake in the company is now valued at more than $500 mln.
Taking into account crypto income, real estate, and other assets, the Trump family’s net worth is currently estimated at $7.7 bln. According to Bloomberg, their crypto assets already exceed the value of the family’s traditional investments.
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