Judge Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch

A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over an article detailing Trump's alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit centered on a 2024 article that reported on a letter purportedly sent by Trump to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The letter, as described, contained typewritten birthday wishes framed by a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and was signed "Donald." Trump has denied authoring the letter, calling it "a fake thing."

U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that Trump failed to demonstrate that the article was published with actual malice—a necessary standard for defamation cases involving public figures. The judge noted that the Journal had sought comments from Trump, the Department of Justice, and the FBI before publishing the article, and included Trump's denial in the report. Despite dismissing the case, Judge Gayles allowed Trump the opportunity to file an amended complaint by April 27.

A spokesperson for Trump's legal team stated that the president intends to refile the lawsuit, asserting that he will continue to hold accountable those who disseminate false information. The White House declined to comment on the ruling. A representative for Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, expressed support for the court's decision and confidence in the integrity of the Journal's reporting.