US Judge Dismisses Trumps $10 Billion Lawsuit Against WSJ Over Epstein Story

Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal

A US federal judge has dismissed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch. Miami-based US District Judge Darrin Gayles made the ruling on Monday, stating that Trump did not meet the “actual malice” standard required in defamation cases.

The lawsuit was filed after the Wall Street Journal published an article on July 17, 2025, describing a letter allegedly signed by Trump for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. The article stated that the letter was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s milestone. However, the judge noted that reporters from the Wall Street Journal had reached out to Trump for comment beforehand and printed his denial.

As a result, readers were able to form their own conclusions about the accuracy of the article. Judge Gayles stated that this approach “cuts against” Trump’s assertion that the newspaper acted with actual malice. The judge also noted that the complaint in Trump’s lawsuit did not meet the standard required for defamation cases.

Trump had sought $10 billion in damages, claiming damage to his reputation. News Corp’s Dow Jones & Company, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal, defended the accuracy of its article. Trump filed an amended version of the lawsuit by April 27, according to the judge’s ruling.

Source: Al Jazeera