New York Times journalist Michael S. Schmidt took to X on Tuesday to defy President Donald Trump, following the announcement of the president's $15 billion lawsuit against the newspaper.
Trump's lawsuit, which names The Times, Penguin Random House, Schmidt, and his fellow reporters Peter Baker, Russ Buettner, and Susanne Craig, claim that the paper published defamatory stories and books about him in the 2024 election to undermine his reputation, including reporting on how Trump had set a record for wrongdoing accusations, and a deep dive into how producers of Trump's reality show "The Apprentice" helped fuel his political rise.
The Times has no intention of rolling over for this, Schmidt wrote.
"Trump just sued The New York Times for $15 billion over stories written by me, @peterbakernyt @russbuettner @susannecraig," wrote Schmidt. "The suit has no merit. It's just 'an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting. The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.'"
Trump has a long history of suing media publications for what he sees as unfavorable treatment.
He sued CBS News and Paramount for allegedly splicing former Vice President Kamala Harris' "60 Minutes" presidential interview to make her look better than him — something that wouldn't even be unlawful even if they had done so. Nonetheless, the network settled with Trump, and allies of the president have since essentially taken over the network via a series of mergers and hires.
More recently, he sued the Wall Street Journal and right-wing media tycoon Rupert Murdoch over reporting about his bawdy birthday letter to late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
