WASHINGTON — In a significant legal decision, a federal judge has dismissed a high-profile $10 billion defamation lawsuit initiated by former President Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch. The lawsuit stemmed from a controversial article detailing Trump’s alleged connections with Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles, presiding over the case in Florida, concluded that Trump did not sufficiently demonstrate that the article was published with malicious intent. However, Judge Gayles allowed Trump the opportunity to submit an amended complaint.
The lawsuit was filed by Trump in July, following a commitment to take legal action against the publication. This was in response to an article that revisited his well-documented association with Epstein, highlighting a letter purportedly signed by Trump included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday celebration.
This letter, later publicly disclosed by Congress after receiving records from Epstein’s estate, was denied by Trump as being authored by him. He characterized the article as “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
Lawyers representing the publication and Murdoch sought a judicial declaration affirming the article’s statements as truths, thereby negating any defamation claims. Judge Gayles articulated in his written order that “whether President Trump was the author of the Letter or Epstein’s friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation.”
This ruling is another setback for Trump’s attempts to control the narrative regarding the Epstein files and his broader efforts to curtail critical media coverage through legal avenues.
At the time of reporting, there has been no immediate response from the White House or Dow Jones, the publisher of the Journal, regarding the decision.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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