- The lawsuit was dismissed for failing to prove ‘actual malice’ in reporting
- The judge highlighted the investigation and verification efforts by journalists
- Trump plans to refile the case amid ongoing legal challenges
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal over an article describing a birthday letter linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
The ruling underscores the high bar public figures face when suing news organisations , and reinforces protections for reporting that shows evidence of verification and outreach.
US District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump had not met the legal standard of “actual malice” required in defamation cases involving public figures. The lawsuit, which sought $10bn per claim, focused on a 2003 birthday book entry that included a letter signed “Donald” alongside an outline of a naked woman.
“The complaint comes nowhere close to this standard,” said Gayles, noting that Journal reporters sought comment from Trump and federal agencies before publication. “In short, the complaint and the article confirm that defendants attempted to investigate.”
Trump’s legal team argued the letter was fabricated to damage his reputation. Lawyers for Dow Jones, the Journal’s publisher, said the reporting was accurate, pointing to a version of the letter later released by the House Oversight Committee. They also argued that the tone of the letter aligned with Trump’s public persona.
The court granted Trump until April 27 to file an amended complaint. A spokesman for his legal team said they intend to “refile this powerhouse lawsuit.”
The decision adds to a series of legal setbacks for Trump, including the dismissal of a similar $15bn lawsuit against The New York Times. Dow Jones said it stood by its reporting, citing its “reliability, rigor, and accuracy.”
- https://www.axios.com/2026/04/13/trump-lawsuit-wsj-dismissed – This article reports that a federal judge dismissed President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal concerning a story about a ‘bawdy’ birthday letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s name. The court found that the complaint failed to meet the stringent ‘actual malice’ legal standard required for public figures to prove defamation.
- https://apnews.com/article/40e7aba7731db9e8800488038cb92a66 – This article details the dismissal of former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch. The case revolved around a 2023 article discussing Trump’s alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein, including a sexually suggestive letter supposedly bearing Trump’s signature.
- https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-blow-as-judge-tosses-epstein-lawsuit-against-murdoch-paper/ – This article discusses the dismissal of Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which stemmed from the publication’s report of an alleged letter and drawing Trump purportedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles concluded that Trump failed to prove actual malice, a legal standard requiring evidence that the WSJ deliberately avoided verifying the truth.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/04/13/epstein-trump-birthday-letter-lawsuit/ – This article reports that a federal judge in Miami dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal’s publisher over the newspaper’s reporting that Trump contributed a drawing of a naked woman as part of a 2003 birthday gift for financier Jeffrey Epstein.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-epstein/ – This article details the dismissal of President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a story about a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein, stating that the president’s legal team failed to clear the legal bar needed to establish their claim.
- https://www.tmz.com/2026/04/13/judge-tosses-trump-wall-street-journal-lawsuit/ – This article reports that a federal judge dismissed President Trump’s $10 billion legal battle with the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, stating that the defamation lawsuit failed to plausibly allege WSJ reported with ‘actual malice’ or reckless disregard for the truth.
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