Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal
A federal judge in Florida has dismissed former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, ruling the complaint failed to meet the “actual malice” standard required for public figures.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles dismissed the case without prejudice, allowing Trump to file an amended complaint by an April 2025 deadline. The lawsuit targeted the Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson, and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.
The Article at the Center of the Dispute
The Wall Street Journal published an article on July 17, 2025, titled: “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump.”
The article reported that a letter bearing Trump’s signature was included in an album assembled for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. It described the letter as containing typewritten text framed by the outline of a hand-drawn naked woman, with a signature resembling Trump’s first name placed below the figure’s waist. The article stated the letter was sent at the request of Ghislaine Maxwell and reportedly concluded with: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has denied the card’s authenticity, stating: “This is not me. This is a fake thing. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women.” His legal team accused the newspaper of publishing a fabricated story.
The Wall Street Journal did not originally publish the image of the drawing. The image was later released by the U.S. House oversight committee in September 2025 after being provided by Epstein’s estate.
Legal Proceedings and the Ruling
A prior version of the lawsuit was filed in July 2023 and dismissed in April 2025 by Judge Gayles for failing to meet the “actual malice” standard. The judge stated the complaint “comes nowhere close” to meeting the legal requirement for defamation claims by public figures.
The “actual malice” standard requires public figures to prove that a publisher knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth.
Judge Gayles noted evidence that the Wall Street Journal sought to verify the drawing’s authenticity before publication. The article described efforts to contact Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment. Trump responded with a denial, the Justice Department did not respond, and the FBI declined to comment.
The judge wrote that Trump’s claim the drawing was fake did not, by itself, demonstrate the Journal acted “with serious doubts” about the story’s accuracy. The judge also noted that Trump’s team had not provided evidence or allegations of special damages.
“These are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation.” — Judge Gayles, declining to make factual findings about the card’s authorship or Trump’s relationship with Epstein.
The Refiled Lawsuit
In the refiled complaint, Trump’s legal team alleged that the defendants “recklessly disregarded whether the defamatory statements were true.” The amended lawsuit also included a new allegation: that Trump called Rupert Murdoch on July 15 after Journal reporters contacted the White House, and that Murdoch responded, “I will handle it” — which Trump interpreted as indicating the article would not be published.
Statements from All Parties
Trump’s Legal Team stated: “President Trump will follow Judge Gayles's ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants. The president will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in fake news to mislead the American people.”
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge. It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th.”
Dow Jones / Wall Street Journal responded: “We are pleased with the judge's decision to dismiss this complaint. We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal's reporting.”
The White House referred questions about the dismissal to Trump’s lawyer.
Broader Legal Context
Trump has filed similar defamation lawsuits against other media organizations, including the New York Times, the BBC, and the Des Moines Register — all of which have denied wrongdoing. An active lawsuit against the BBC concerns documentary editing.
Several media companies have sued Trump’s administration over First Amendment issues. The Trump administration has also taken actions to restrict press access and has threatened regulatory actions against critical outlets.
The Trump-Epstein Relationship
Trump and Epstein were socially acquainted for over a decade before a falling out in the early 2000s.
Trump has stated he parted ways with Epstein before the financier’s legal troubles became public in 2006, saying the falling out occurred because he believed Epstein was a “creep” and had taken employees from his Mar-a-Lago club.
Former President Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee that he had a discussion with Trump about Epstein approximately 20 years ago, during which Trump reportedly said they “had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal.”
Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor in 2008 and died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Law enforcement has stated he preyed on numerous women and girls.
Trump has not been charged with any wrongdoing connected to Epstein and has denied any wrongdoing.
First Lady Melania Trump, in a separate public address, denied having a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.