Trump Says Judge Rejected Times Bid to Toss Defamation Suit

Trump claims a judge denied The New York Times' effort to dismiss his defamation lawsuit and ordered him to file an updated complaint alleging actual malice.

First Published: July 27, 2026, 2:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump said a judge rejected The New York Times’ bid to dismiss his defamation lawsuit and ordered him to file an amended complaint.

The president framed the ruling as a defeat for the newspaper, the largest-circulation daily in the United States, after what he described as a decade of coverage he considers false. He said the updated filing would detail claims of actual malice against the paper.

“As we requested, the Highly Respected Judge has called for an updated complaint, which will lay out, in extreme detail, all the ways in which The Times has repeatedly and consistently acted, with actual malice in defaming me, my family, our Great MAGA Movement, and America, itself,” Trump said in the post.

The procedural step matters because public figures face a high bar in defamation cases. The Supreme Court requires proof that a publisher knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. A court order to replead does not decide the merits, and the case remains at an early stage.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “BREAKING NEWS: The Failing New York Times, after 10 years of harassment, slander, and libel, just failed again in their desperate attempt to have our powerful Defamation Lawsuit against them dropped. As we requested, the Highly Respected Judge has called for an updated complaint, which will lay out, in extreme detail, all the ways in which The Times has repeatedly and consistently acted, with actual malice in defaming me, my family, our Great MAGA Movement, and America, itself. We will continue to hold The Times and their “comrades” in the Mainstream Media accountable for publishing, promoting, and dealing in Fake News. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trump” on July 27, 2026 at 5:52 PM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces roughly 15 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 20 of his 464 posts over the last 30 days focused on legal matters, according to a Zenger analysis.

The stakes reach beyond the two parties. A win for Trump would embolden public officials seeking damages from news organizations, while a loss would reaffirm the legal shield that has protected American publishers for six decades. Press-freedom groups argue that aggressive suits can pressure outlets to soften coverage, while the plaintiff contends the reporting caused reputational harm.

The legal standard at issue traces to New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the 1964 Supreme Court decision that established the actual-malice test for public officials suing over defamation. That ruling reversed a $500,000 judgment an Alabama court had awarded to a local official, and it has anchored First Amendment law ever since.

This is not the first clash between the president and the newspaper. Trump has repeatedly threatened or pursued litigation against major outlets, and courts have often narrowed or dismissed such claims at early stages. The current dispute now turns on whether a revised complaint can meet the demanding malice threshold.

The next decision rests with the presiding judge, who will weigh the amended complaint once Trump files it. A specific date for that ruling has not been announced.

Disputes between presidents and the press are as old as the republic. President John Adams signed the Sedition Act in 1798, which made it a crime to publish “false, scandalous and malicious” writing about the government, and prosecutors jailed several newspaper editors under the law. The measure fueled a backlash that helped Thomas Jefferson win the presidency in 1800, and Congress let the act expire the following year.