Play store
A US federal judge has permanently dismissed US President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a report linking him to a letter allegedly written for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday album.
US District Judge Darrin Gayles issued the ruling on Saturday, saying Trump had failed to establish that the newspaper acted with “actual malice” in publishing the report.
Trump had filed the lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the Wall Street Journal and two journalists associated with the newspaper. He accused them of knowingly publishing false and defamatory statements that damaged his reputation and caused financial harm.
Under US law, public figures seeking to prove defamation must demonstrate that the defendant knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
In his ruling, Judge Gayles said Trump’s amended complaint still failed to adequately establish actual malice. He described the allegations as vague and conclusory, noting that some contradicted the newspaper’s published account.
The judge also said Trump’s legal team had attempted to manufacture flaws in the newspaper’s investigative reporting.
The lawsuit stemmed from a Wall Street Journal report published on July 17, 2025, which said a collection of messages presented to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a letter bearing Trump’s name.
The letters were reportedly collected by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
According to the report, the note attributed to Trump contained typed text inside the outline of a naked woman, with Trump’s signature appearing below, near the figure’s pelvic area. Trump has strongly denied writing or signing the letter. A copy was later released through the House Oversight Committee.
The report emerged amid growing criticism of the Trump administration over its handling of documents related to Epstein and questions about the nature of Trump’s past association with the convicted sex offender.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein but claimed in 2025 that he severed ties with him after Epstein recruited female employees from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges but was found dead in a New York jail before trial. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
Following the newspaper’s report, Trump described it as false, malicious and defamatory. He filed the $10 billion lawsuit in federal court in Miami on July 18, 2025.
Judge Gayles had initially dismissed the case in April this year but allowed Trump to submit an amended complaint. Trump did so in May, arguing that the newspaper had acted irresponsibly by failing to adequately explain how it obtained and authenticated the letter.
Saturday’s dismissal was issued with prejudice, meaning Trump cannot refile the same claims.
Trump also has ongoing defamation lawsuits against other media organisations, including the BBC and The New York Times.