A federal judge on Saturday dismissed President Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its 2025 reporting linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that Trump failed to prove the newspaper acted with 'actual malice,' a legal standard required for public figures in defamation cases.
The lawsuit stemmed from a Journal article describing a lewd birthday letter allegedly written by Trump to Epstein in 2003. Trump denied authorship and sued for $10 billion, but the court found the Journal’s reporting did not meet the reckless disregard threshold required under the First Amendment. The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled.
Trump’s legal team vowed to continue the fight, calling the coverage 'Fake News.' Dow Jones, the Journal’s publisher, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. This marks the second dismissal of a Trump lawsuit related to Epstein reporting by the same judge. The original article, headlined 'Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album.
One Was From Donald Trump,' included a letter with a drawing of a naked woman and Trump’s signature. The birthday book, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, was later released to Congress. Trump has filed similar suits against CNN, BBC, and others.
Source: New York Times Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing