US judge dismisses $10bn Trump defamation suit against Wall Street Journal
US judge dismisses $10bn Trump defamation suit against Wall Street Journal
Florida federal court rules Trump failed to prove ‘actual malice’
A federal judge in Florida has ruled to dismiss a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and its parent company, News Corp. The case, which centered on a July 17 report linking Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was dismissed without prejudice, leaving the door open for Trump to refile an amended claim.
Trump alleged the WSJ defamed him by publishing a story suggesting his name appeared in a “birthday book” provided to Epstein in 2003. The report also claimed Trump included a drawing of a woman’s body in the document. His legal team asserted the suit would be “a powerhouse” and vowed to pursue it further.
Standard for ‘actual malice’ not met
US District Judge Darrin Gayles concluded Trump had not sufficiently demonstrated that the WSJ acted with ‘actual malice’—a legal threshold requiring proof of false statements coupled with knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for truth.
“Trump came nowhere close to showing the WSJ published the article with actual malice,” Gayles stated in the ruling.
Trump’s attorney emphasized the importance of holding media outlets accountable for spreading “Fake News,” stating the president would continue to pursue justice against those who mislead the public.
WSJ’s reporting and Trump’s response
The WSJ released investigative reports during the summer connecting Trump and Epstein via the birthday book. Although the newspaper initially omitted an image of the note, the written details aligned with the picture later shared by Democratic lawmakers. Trump dismissed the message as a “fake thing,” denying authorship of the document in question.
Lawmakers had shared the image of the birthday note on social media before the WSJ published its full findings. The judge noted the WSJ’s description matched the visual evidence, but Trump’s claims of defamation remained unproven under the legal standard applied.
Trump has until April 27 to refile his lawsuit. The dismissal does not conclude the case, but it sets a precedent for the burden of proof required in similar legal actions.
