Federal Judge Permanently Dismisses Trump $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against WSJ
A federal judge in Miami permanently dismissed President Donald Trump's ten-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Saturday. The case stemmed from a July 2025 Wall Street Journal article reporting on a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's name that was included in a 2003 birthday album for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the suit with prejudice, meaning Trump cannot refile the same claims in federal court. This is the second dismissal; Gayles had previously dismissed an initial version in April without prejudice, allowing Trump to file an amended complaint. The judge ruled that Trump failed to prove the newspaper acted with actual malice, a legal standard required for public figures in defamation cases. Trump continues to deny writing the letter and says he will pursue other legal avenues. The Wall Street Journal has maintained the accuracy of its reporting and pointed to the actual letter produced by the Epstein estate through a congressional request.
Key facts
- Federal Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal with prejudice on October 31, 2026
- The lawsuit centered on a July 17, 2025 Wall Street Journal article reporting on a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's name in a 2003 birthday album for Jeffrey Epstein
- Gayles ruled that Trump failed to prove the newspaper acted with actual malice, the legal standard required for defamation cases involving public figures
- This was the second dismissal; Gayles had previously dismissed the case in April 2026 without prejudice, allowing Trump to file an amended complaint
- Dismissal with prejudice means Trump cannot refile the same defamation claims against these defendants in federal court
- The Wall Street Journal stated the letter bearing Trump's signature was produced by the Epstein estate in response to a congressional subpoena
- Trump continues to deny writing the letter and claims he will continue legal action against other media outlets
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning outlets such as CNN and Al Jazeera emphasize that the judge found Trump was attempting to manufacture and manufacture flaws in the newspaper's reporting, describing his arguments as grasping at straws. These sources highlight that the case represents an attack on press freedom and the First Amendment, with the judge rejecting Trump's argument that the Journal should have withheld the story simply because Trump denied it.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning outlets such as GB News report the facts of the dismissal while emphasizing Trump's repeated denials that he wrote the letter and his characterization of the article as fake. Some focus on the procedural aspects and Trump's determination to appeal or pursue other legal remedies against different media outlets.
Limits of this briefing
The court ruling did not determine whether Trump actually wrote the disputed letter; it addressed only the legal question of whether the newspaper's reporting met the threshold for defamation. Some outlets noted they have not independently verified the Wall Street Journal's original reporting or the authenticity of the letter itself.
Sources
- CNBC: Trump defamation suit against Murdoch, WSJ over Epstein letter dismissed with prejudice Centre
- CNN: Judge tosses Trump's lawsuit against Wall Street Journal again, this time for good Left
- Al Jazeera: Trump loses legal battle over Epstein-linked Wall Street Journal case Centre
- CBC: Judge throws out Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein letter Centre
- GB News: Judge throws out Donald Trump's £7.4bn lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Jeffrey Epstein letter Right