Judge Dismisses Trump's WSJ Defamation Suit

A federal judge in Florida dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp., and media executive Rupert Murdoch on Monday, ruling that the complaint failed to adequately allege that the newspaper acted with actual malice in reporting on Trump's past association with Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued the order in the Southern District of Florida, where Trump filed the suit in July 2025. The case stemmed from a July 17 article in The Wall Street Journal that described a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's signature, included in a 2003 birthday album compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday. The letter featured typewritten text framed by a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, ending with the words, "Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump denied authoring the letter, stating in response to the newspaper, "This is not me. This is a fake thing."

The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning Trump has until April 27, 2026, to file an amended complaint addressing the deficiencies. Gayles wrote that Trump's allegations of malice were...