Florida judge keeps Trump defamation suit against New York Times in state

Trump says a Middle District of Florida judge denied the newspaper's bid to move his defamation lawsuit, clearing the way for oral argument in Florida.

First Published: July 7, 2026, 11:07 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump said a Florida judge refused to move his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times out of state.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “BREAKING NEWS: 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. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trump”, on Truth Social on July 7, 2026 at 9:48 PM EST.

Trump said the ruling denied an attempt by The New York Times and other defendants to transfer the case to a different jurisdiction. He said his lawyers will now present oral argument in Florida detailing what he described as the newspaper’s publishing and promotion of “Fake News.” Trump did not identify the judge or provide the case number.

The legal filing comes as Trump remains an active user of his platform. In the last 30 days, 23 of 552 Trump posts were on the topic “Legal.”

The post lands during a period of heavy scrutiny of the president’s public events, including his Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington. Reporters described sparse attendance, extreme heat and steep prices such as $25 for a pretzel, $23 for a turkey leg and $9 for a lemonade (see theguardian.com). Several states and performers withdrew from the event over cost and its political tone, and a Confederate flag was removed from one booth (see theguardian.com).