A Florida judge just told Donald Trump that his massive 85-page lawsuit against the New York Times made little sense. The judge said it sounded more like an angry rant than a legal case. He sent it back to Trump’s lawyers and told them to rewrite it. The new version cannot be longer than 40 pages.
Trump has been going after media outlets that criticize him. When Paramount was trying to close a big deal, experts say Trump used that moment to push a settlement in his lawsuit against CBS. Stephen Colbert joked about it and called it a bribe. Just a few days later, his CBS show was canceled.
The same kind of thing happened with Jimmy Kimmel. After Charlie Kirk’s murder, Trump said he was fine because he was focused on building a ballroom. Kimmel mocked him on air. Soon after, his show was flagged by the FCC and he was suspended. Reports claimed he could only return if he donated money to Kirk’s family and met other conditions.
Feeling fired up, Trump then launched the new lawsuit against the New York Times. He asked for a shocking $15 billion. Before the case even started, he bragged that the Times would face the same downfall as his other critics.
But Judge Steven Merryday wasn’t impressed. He said a court filing is not supposed to be a political speech or a publicity stunt. He demanded a much shorter and clearer version.
Trump’s legal team promised to resubmit the case. But most people online mocked the first filing. Many said Trump only sued because he believed the Times supported Kamala Harris instead of him in the 2024 elections. On X, one user joked that the judge basically called Trump’s complaint “garbage.” Another pointed out that Trump keeps using lawsuits not to win, but to scare and silence critics.
This whole episode shows Trump’s pattern. He doesn’t mind going after journalists and entertainers who cross him. For those who thought he was a moderate, this is another reminder that he can lean into authoritarian behavior. The real question now is whether the media will stand firm or back down. If they don’t push back, Trump will only keep pressing harder.
