Trump's media and defamation lawsuits this year tie record
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President Trump is already embroiled in as many new media and defamation lawsuits halfway through 2025 as he was in lawsuits that were initiated — by or against him — during all of last year.
Why it matters: The record wave of litigation reflects how Trump's clashes with the media have escalated from public criticism to courtroom showdowns with major news organizations that are increasingly fighting back.
State of play: So far this year, Trump has been sued by the Associated Press, NPR, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch.
- On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House had removed the Journal from the press pool covering the president's upcoming weekend trip to Scotland.
- The decision came after Trump sued the news outlet over a story describing a letter bearing his name that the WSJ says was given to Jeffrey Epstein.
- The president has maintained the letter is "fake." Dow Jones, which owns WSJ, told Axios that they have "full confidence in the rigor and accuracy" of their reporting and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit, according to a spokesperson.
By the numbers: These 2025 cases add to a growing list of Trump's media-related legal battles, which spiked dramatically after he launched his political career.
- According to Axios' analysis, Trump and his businesses have been involved in 34 media or defamation lawsuits since 2015, compared to just seven in the three decades prior to announcing his presidential bid.
- The lawsuits shown in the chart involve Trump as either the plaintiff or defendant and include Trump-affiliated businesses, like Miss Universe and Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), and his campaign.
- In 2023, TMTG sued 20 media organizations, including Axios, for defamation. That suit in Florida is ongoing.
- Trump or his business served as the plaintiff in 59% of the cases — four before announcing his presidential run and 20 afterward. He or his business was the defendant in three cases before and 14 afterward.
- The analysis includes defamation cases from non-media entities and individuals like E. Jean Carroll.
The big picture: Even as news organizations push back against what they allege are retaliatory actions and abuses of power, some have opted to settle rather than engage in lengthy litigation.
- Some news organizations have opted to settle with Trump rather than fight court battles, even as press freedom advocates have suggested the cases were winnable and settling risks setting dangerous precedents.
- ABC agreed to pay $16 million to settle a suit over comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos. CBS parent Paramount Global also paid $16 million to settle a voter interference lawsuit.
- WSJ is likely to win Trump's suit against them since "courts rarely find that actual malice exists," said Kevin Goldberg, vice president at Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan nonprofit fostering First Amendment freedoms.
