Judge dismisses Trump's $10B lawsuit against WSJ over Epstein letter
Miami-based federal judge dismisses US president's defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a story about an alleged off-colour letter
A US judge has dismissed Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over an article asserting the US president's name was on a 2003 birthday greeting for the late financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but said Trump could re-file the case.
Miami-based US District Judge Darrin Gayles said on Monday that Trump did not meet the "actual malice" standard that public figures must clear in defamation.
Gayles said he had to dismiss the civil complaint because Trump, who has denied sending the letter to his then-friend Epstein in 2003, had "not plausibly alleged that the Defendants published the Article with actual malice."
That means he must prove not only that a public statement about him was false but also that the media outlet or person who made the statement knew or should have known that it was false.
Gayles said Trump could file an amended version of the lawsuit by April 27.
In his lawsuit, Trump called the alleged birthday greeting "fake" and sought $10 billion for what he called damage to his reputation. News Corp's Dow Jones, the Journal's parent, defended the accuracy of its July 17, 2025, article.
On July 17, the WSJ reported that a letter signed by Trump was in an album Epstein gifted for his 50th birthday.
The article said Trump sent the letter at the request of Epstein co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, who after 20 years was convicted of procuring minor girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.
Trump denied authoring the letter, dismissing it as a fabrication.
Melania denies knowledge of Epstein abuse
Last week, US First Lady Melania Trump made a surprise statement, denying any knowledge of Epstein's abuse, or that she herself was a victim of the convicted sex offender.
Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida to procuring a minor for prostitution, but critics call the relatively minor conviction a "sweetheart deal."
The case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Epstein’s extensive links to political, business and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.
US Justice Department recently released millions of files related to the late disgraced financier.
More than 1,200 victims of Epstein were identified in documents that have been steadily released by the department since late-2025.