Donald Trump trolled as he ordered to pay nearly $400K to NY Times for legal fees over failed lawsuit

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump found himself the subject of internet mockery once again on Friday, January 12, after a New York State judge ordered him to pay over $392,000 in legal fees to The New York Times over his failed lawsuit against the newspaper.

The ruling stems from Trump's unsuccessful 2021 lawsuit accusing the Times and its reporters of unlawfully obtaining his tax records. The legal fee order represents yet another financial and legal setback for Trump, who remains mired in post-presidency lawsuits and investigations, per Daily Mail.

Donald Trump accused New York Times of unlawfully obtaining his tax records

The case dates back to March 2021, when Trump filed a lawsuit accusing the Times and its reporters of being involved in an "insidious plot" to obtain his tax records from his niece Mary Trump.

The records were leaked to the Times in 2020 and used as the basis for a series of Pulitzer Prize-winning articles about Trump's finances.

The leaks came after years of unverified speculation about the true extent of Trump's wealth, as he broke with tradition and refused to release his tax returns during his successful 2016 campaign for president. Trump claimed an ongoing audit prevented him from making his returns public.

In his lawsuit, Trump claimed that the reporters convinced Mary Trump to "smuggle records out of her attorney's office" that was under a confidentiality agreement connected to a prior legal settlement over the estate of Trump's late father, Fred Trump Sr sought at least $100 million in damages over the leak.

However, New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed dismissed Trump's lawsuit against the defendants last May, finding no evidence to support Trump's conspiracy claims.

In his ruling on Friday regarding legal fees, Justice Reed wrote, "Considering the complexity of the issues presented in this action...the court finds that $392,638 is a reasonable value for the legal services rendered."

A Times spokesperson hailed the decision as "an important precedent reaffirming that the press is protected when it engages in routine newsgathering to obtain information of vital importance to the public."

Internet mocks Donald Trump over verdict for payment of legal fees to New York Times

As news of the legal verdict regarding Trump's payment of over $392,000 to The New York Times circulated, the internet wasted no time in mocking the former president. Responses flooded social media platforms, capturing a mix of humor, skepticism, and derision.

One X user cheekily quipped, "Let the fundraising begin." Another user, adopting a witty tone, remarked, "We are going to need a tracker to track all the money Trump is going to have to pay now."

A third user took a more direct jab, stating, "Loser Trump keeps losing." Meanwhile, someone else said, "So the weekend begins on a good note!"

A more direct critique came from a fifth user who straightforwardly commented, "What a monumental loser." Finally, a sixth user expressed skepticism about Trump's willingness to comply, stating, "He won’t pay it, of course."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.