Judge dismisses Trump's $10 billion suit against Wall Street Journal
A federal judge in Miami ruled that the president failed to prove the newspaper acted with actual malice in reporting on a letter tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
By Salma Farouk ·
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Saturday. The judge threw out the case with prejudice, meaning the claim cannot be refiled.
The ruling centered on the legal standard of actual malice required for public figures to win libel suits. Gayles determined that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with the necessary intent. He described the lawsuit as an attempt to manufacture flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting.
The dispute stems from a story published last year regarding a sexually suggestive letter and drawing attributed to Trump. The newspaper reported that the items were part of a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. The letter, reportedly collected by Ghislaine Maxwell, contained text framed by a drawing of a naked woman. It closed with the phrase, “Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump denied writing the letter and characterized the reporting as false, malicious, and defamatory. His legal team accused the paper and its reporters of knowingly and recklessly publishing false statements that caused financial and reputational harm to the president.
This marks the second time Gayles has rejected the suit. He first dismissed the case in April but allowed an amended complaint in May. In his new decision, the judge cited the 1964 Supreme Court ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. He noted that the new allegations regarding malice were conclusory and vague. The judge also pointed out that the article fairly informed readers that Trump decried the letter as a fake.
The dismissal adds to a series of legal conflicts between the administration and news organizations. Trump is currently involved in lawsuits with the BBC, The Associated Press, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The latter three recently sued for restored White House access after being banished in mid-September.
The White House did not immediately react publicly to the decision on Saturday. The ruling ends the specific legal battle over the Epstein birthday album story, leaving the president to continue his disputes with other media outlets.
