Trump sneers at Times' 'desperate attempt' amid tumultuous court battle

President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform late Tuesday night to celebrate a procedural federal court ruling in his favor in his lawsuit against The New York Times — though his suit still has a long way to go. "A very fair and highly respected Judge in the Middle District of Florida just denied The Failing New York Times’ desperate attempt, together with other defendants we are suing, to move our powerhouse Defamation Lawsuit against them to another jurisdiction," said Trump. As consequence, he said, "We will now have an oral argument in Florida, where our lawyers will present, in great detail, all the ways in which The Times publishes, promotes, and deals in Fake News." The case, which alleges The Times and Penguin Random House published various defamatory statements about Trump's life and business during the 2024 election, was initially blocked by a federal judge last September, who ruled the president was using the courts as a platform to air his political grievances. However, Trump refiled the case with more specific, targeted claims. The ruling to which Trump is referring, issued by George H.W. Bush-appointed Senior U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, holds that Trump's suit was filed in the proper venue and can be heard in the Middle District of Florida. However, the case has yet to proceed on the merits, with Trump yet to prove any of his liability claims against The Times.