A $15 billion suit filed by President Donald Trump against the New York Times was rejected by a judge. He said the complaint had "superfluous allegations."

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One earlier this week. A $15 billion suit filed by President Donald Trump against the New York Times was rejected by a judge on Friday. He said the complaint had “superfluous allegations.” Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI UPI

Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A $15 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the New York Times was rejected by a federal judge Friday.

Judge Steven Merryday in Tampa, Fla., said Trump's lengthy lawsuit had too much praise for the president and "superfluous allegations."

Merryday said Trump's two civil allegations against the newspaper are only mentioned in the last few pages of the 85-page complaint. The other pages are full of complaints about his political enemies and boasting of his accomplishments.

Merryday gave Trump 28 days to file another version of the lawsuit.

"As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective -- not a protected platform to rage against an adversary," Merryday wrote. "A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers' Corner."

"This action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner," the judge wrote.

The Times company wrote in a statement when Trump's lawsuit was filed that his complaint is "without merit." Times executive editor Joe Kahn on Thursday said he was confident the paper would win.

"He's wrong on the facts; he's wrong on the law. And we'll fight it, and we'll win," Kahn said at an Axios Media Trends Live event Thursday. He said he did not see a scenario in which the Times would settle with the president.

When he filed the suit on Monday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to accuse the newspaper of being a "virtual mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democratic Party," but did not give details of the alleged falsehoods.

The action for damages amounting to more than the full market capitalization of The New York Times Company, was, Trump said, motivated by an imperative to "restore integrity to journalism."

"The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!" Trump said.

He also criticized the paper's endorsement of Kamala Harris for president in the 2024 election.

Experts have said it was another instance of a strategy of using lawsuits of doubtful legality to gag critical voices and suppress free speech.

Trump has won multi-million dollar settlements from ABC News and CBS News, in December and July, respectively, prompting groups representing the journalism industry to warn that opting to settle out of court was only fueling Trump's "lawfare."

Addressing the Reporters & Editors 50th anniversary gala in New York on Monday, before the latest suit was filed, Times publisher AG Sulzberger warned of a growing so-called "anti-press playbook" trend among "aspiring strongmen" globally of leveraging civil law to exert financial pressure on media.