Judge Denies New York Times Request to Move Trump Defamation Lawsuit Out of Florida
President Donald Trump won a procedural victory Tuesday in his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. Senior U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday ruled against the defendant news outlet and co-defendants’ request to move the case to New York state. Trump said in a statement on Truth Social after the ruling that his “decades-long, multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the FAKE NEWS MEDIA will continue to be heard in the Middle District of Florida,” where his lawyers are expected to argue their case at an upcoming hearing about specific examples of bias against Trump and his family. Merryday ruled in Trump’s favor on the venue decision because he claims Trump’s reputation was damaged in Florida. The legal team representing The New York Times has repeatedly asserted that Trump’s lawsuit has no merit.