Trump has demanded over $70 billion through lawsuits and claims
Trump has demanded over $70 billion through lawsuits and claims
- Mon, Aug 17 2026 at 2:11 PM
$70 billion.
That’s the staggering amount Donald Trump has demanded through lawsuits and claims since he first declared his candidacy in November 2022—an amount more than 10 times his own net worth.
Again and again, we’ve sounded the alarm: Trump is using the power and prestige of the presidency to enrich himself. And the pattern of using legal claims to pressure companies, individuals and even his own government didn’t begin when he took the oath of office for the second time.
Since launching his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has filed six lawsuits seeking more than $20 billion. Since returning to the White House, he has filed another five seeking roughly $50 billion more.
That’s more than $70 billion in claims—and the outcomes of those cases have, in many instances, changed dramatically as Trump’s political power has grown.
DONATE → Trump’s most recent, and most notable, big money suit was the widely criticized lawsuit he filed against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department. He demanded $10 billion in damages for the disclosure of his and his company’s tax information during his first term.
The conflict of interest was extraordinary: Trump was effectively on both sides of the litigation. He even admitted that he intended to “work out a settlement with [him]self.”
Despite the questionable legal theory behind the claims, Trump’s own DOJ agreed to settle the case.
Though it has since been blocked in the courts, the original terms of the settlement included a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for Trump allies and anyone claiming to be the victims of “lawfare.”
And that wasn’t the only benefit Trump stood to receive. An agreement preventing the IRS from bringing claims against Trump, his family or his businesses over past tax issues remains in place—including protection from a potential penalty of more than $100 million.
This settlement also covered Trump’s separate administrative claims against the DOJ under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which sought approximately $230 million in damages, and alleged that federal prosecutions and investigations against him were malicious and politically motivated.
And Trump’s efforts to turn litigation into a vehicle for personal gain don’t stop with his own government.
Trump has repeatedly filed defamation claims against media companies since November 2022. This includes lawsuits against the BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and ABC, along with the Pulitzer Prize Board.
However, his litigation against the media is not limited to defamation claims. He has also brought claims against CBS, the Des Moines Register and journalist Bob Woodward under a variety of theories about reporting he didn’t like.
Trump has also filed a suit against his former lawyer Michael Cohen and more recently has sued JP Morgan for debanking him in 2021 after the January 6 insurrection.
And some of these legal battles have ended with very real payouts.
Outside of Trump’s claims against his own government, he has reached other settlement agreements since winning reelection, generating a total of approximately $86.5 million for himself, his presidential library and White House ballroom.
Trump sued ABC for an unspecified sum in March 2024 and settled in December 2024 before he took office, for a $15 million donation to his library and $1 million in legal fees. He sued CBS for $20 billion in October 2024 and settled for a $16 million donation to his library in July 2025.
Mark, step back and look at the numbers: Trump’s lawsuits and claims demand more than $70 BILLION in total—more than ten times his net worth.
This isn’t just a collection of lawsuits. It’s a pattern of Trump using enormous political and legal power to line his own pockets and pursue financial benefits for his allies.
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