Judge Dismisses Trump’s WSJ Epstein Letter Lawsuit

A US federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones and its leader Rupert Murdoch. The case concerned a Journal report about a letter bearing Trump’s name that was allegedly included in a 2003 birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denied writing or signing the letter, which reportedly contained suggestive language and a drawing of a woman’s body. The judge, Darrin Gayles, dismissed the refiled suit with prejudice, so it cannot be brought again. He had previously dismissed an earlier version seeking $20bn. In a 20-page ruling, Gayles said Trump’s legal team had not shown that the defendants acted with “actual malice”—the legal standard public figures must meet in a defamation case. That standard requires evidence that a defendant knew a statement was false or recklessly disregarded whether it was true. The judge described the Journal’s investigation as “thoughtful and detailed” and said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” to manufacture flaws in the reporting. Trump’s lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the story after Trump denied writing the letter when contacted by the Journal. Gayles rejected that argument, saying a denial by a public figure does not require journalists to abandon the rest of an investigation. Such a rule, he wrote, would conflict with the First Amendment and prevent publication of negative or contradictory reporting whenever a public figure disputed an allegation. The Journal’s story appeared amid bipartisan criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein-related documents. The reported letter was described as containing typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, along with a joking reference to “enigmas” and a birthday greeting that referred to a “wonderful secret.” Trump had accused the newspaper of slander and violating libel laws.

A federal judge in Miami dismissed with prejudice President Donald Trump’s amended $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, The Wall Street Journal and other defendants. The case concerned the Journal’s July 2025 report that an album of letters for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday included a letter bearing Trump’s signature. Trump has denied writing it. Judge Darrin Gayles found that Trump again had not plausibly alleged that the defendants published the article with “actual malice,” a legal standard public figures must meet in defamation cases. The ruling followed Gayles’s dismissal of Trump’s original complaint in April, when he gave Trump an opportunity to amend it. Dismissing the amended suit with prejudice prevents Trump from refiling the same claims in federal court, though his legal team said he would appeal. Gayles rejected Trump’s arguments that the Journal’s investigation was inadequate, that the article omitted relevant details, and that the newspaper should not have published it after Trump and his representatives denied the letter was authentic. The judge said allowing public figures to block unfavorable reporting simply by denying a story would conflict with First Amendment protections for speech and the press. He did not decide whether Trump actually authored the letter, and described the Journal’s reporting process as a “thoughtful and detailed investigation.” The Journal’s report said the letter was written at the request of Epstein’s close friend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted of procuring underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. It described a drawing of a naked woman, a signature resembling Trump’s, and a closing message wishing Epstein another “wonderful secret.” Trump called the letter fake and denied drawing or writing it. The newspaper’s publisher, Dow Jones & Co., welcomed the court’s decision. The dismissal is another setback in Trump’s litigation against media organizations; separately, a Miami judge ordered him to sit for a deposition in his defamation suit against the BBC by December 11.

A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its owner News Corp, and media magnate Rupert Murdoch. The suit concerned the newspaper’s July 2025 report that Trump had sent Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy birthday letter in 2003, reportedly including a drawing of a naked woman. Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Trump cannot refile it, after finding that Trump had not adequately shown the defendants acted with “actual malice.” Gayles had rejected an earlier version of the suit in April as well. The article describes the controversy’s political context. The House Oversight Committee published a copy of the alleged note, which presents a short exchange between “Donald” and “Jeffrey” and ends with Trump’s signature placed on the outline of a nude woman. Trump denies wrongdoing related to Epstein and has not been charged with any crime connected to the affair. His name appears repeatedly in the Epstein files, whose release he opposed for months before signing legislation requiring their publication. The Epstein case has drawn scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans, while Trump’s supporters have long advanced claims that powerful figures were shielding Epstein associates. With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, Democrats have reportedly spent more than US$35 million on Epstein-related advertisements. The article also notes other legal and political developments involving Trump, including a separate lawsuit seeking to block his proposed triumphal arch near a military cemetery in Washington. A judge questioned the government’s national-security justification for the project; Trump said he would see whether it could be built. The piece situates these disputes within the broader role of the courts in constraining a president facing relatively limited political opposition in Congress.