President Donald Trump accused The New York Times of posing a national security risk in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. He demanded that the newspaper's alleged false reporting be stopped, labeling it an enemy of the people. This statement comes amid ongoing legal battles between Trump and the outlet.
President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of The New York Times on Tuesday, describing the newspaper as a serious threat to national security in an early morning post on Truth Social. In the post, Trump wrote: “The Failing New York Times, and their lies and purposeful misrepresentations, is a serious threat to the National Security of our Nation. Their Radical Left, Unhinged Behavior, writing FAKE Articles and Opinions in a never ending way, must be dealt with and stopped. THEY ARE A TRUE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! Thank you for you attention to this matter.”
Trump's remarks build on a history of tensions with the Times. Last month, he responded to a story from the paper suggesting he was losing energy, posting on Truth Social: “[T]he Radical Left Lunatics in the soon to fold New York Times did a hit piece on me that I am perhaps losing my Energy, despite facts that show the exact opposite. They know this is wrong, as is almost every thing that they write about me, including election results, ALL PURPOSELY NEGATIVE. This cheap ‘RAG’ is truly an ‘ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.’”
These verbal attacks accompany legal actions. In October, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the Times, several of its reporters, and Penguin Random House, the publisher of a book on his business career. The suit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claims the outlet published false statements that harmed his reputation as a businessman and star of the reality show The Apprentice. Trump seeks $15 billion in damages, stating in the complaint: “The statements in question wrongly defame and disparage President Trump’s hard-earned professional reputation, which he painstakingly built for decades as a private citizen before becoming President of the United States, including as a successful businessman and as star of the most successful reality television show of all-time— The Apprentice.”
This follows a September lawsuit against the Times and reporters, which alleged interference in the 2024 election. That case was dismissed by Judge Steven Merryday as improper.
