Donald Trump Thought He Finally Had His Big Win and Took It Straight to Social — Hours Later the Whole Thing Blew Up Right In His Face

President Donald Trump celebrated what he described as a major legal victory in his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. He quickly posted on social media, saying he had won another important court battle against the newspaper.

However, within hours, many people pointed out that the court ruling was not the clear victory Trump claimed it was.

In a post shared on Monday, July 27, Trump said he had faced “10 years of harassment, slander, and libel” from The New York Times. He also claimed the newspaper had once again failed in its attempt to get his lawsuit dismissed.

Trump wrote that the judge had asked for an updated version of his complaint, saying it would explain in great detail how he believes The New York Times acted with “actual malice” by publishing false and damaging stories about him, his family, the MAGA movement, and even America.

But the judge did not rule in Trump’s favour. Instead, the judge delayed making a final decision on The New York Times’request to dismiss the lawsuit. Trump and his lawyers have now been given until August 27 to file another amended complaint that clearly explains the legal basis for their claims.

After the ruling, The New York Times released a statement saying the judge’s decision did not support Trump’s accusations. Spokesman Charlie Stadtlander said the court had simply given Trump another chance to rewrite his complaint and show that it has legal merit.

He added that Trump had already been given two previous chances to do this but had failed both times. Stadtlander also said the newspaper would continue defending its journalists, its reporting, and the public’s right to know.

Trump first filed the lawsuit in September last year against The New York Times, several of its reporters, and publisher Penguin Random House. The case is based on reporting about the 2024 presidential election and the book Lucky Loser, written by investigative reporters Susanne Craig and Ross Buettner.

Florida District Judge Steven Merryday had already dismissed Trump’s original complaint but allowed him to submit a revised version. After Trump filed an updated complaint in October, The New York Times again asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing it should not have been filed in Florida instead of New York.

https://t.co/3UHyEB24Ku pic.twitter.com/FSKKtdNJ3y— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) July 28, 2026

Rather than dismissing the case immediately, Judge Merryday decided to give Trump another opportunity to revise his legal arguments before making a final decision.

The case sparked strong reactions on social media. Many users argued that The New York Times was simply reporting on a public figure during a presidential campaign, making the stories newsworthy.

One person claimed Trump often files lawsuits against media organisations and predicted he might eventually drop the case if he could not support his claims with evidence.

Another user mocked Trump’s long-running criticism of The New York Times, saying he has called it a “failing” newspaper for years even though it continues to operate successfully.

Others also referred to Trump’s separate $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. In that case, a federal judge ruled that the broadcaster could request detailed financial records from Trump because he claims the documentary damaged his business and personal brand.

Some social media users argued that Trump should focus on other issues instead of celebrating what they viewed as a procedural court decision. Others defended The New York Times, saying defamation cases depend on proving published statements are false, while some sarcastically joked about Trump’s reaction to the ruling.

The lawsuit against The New York Times remains ongoing, and Trump has until August 27 to submit another revised complaint before the court decides whether the case can move forward.