By — Dave Collins, Associated Press Dave Collins, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-suit-against-wall-street-journal-over-epstein-birthday-letter Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter Politics Oct 31, 2026 5:32 PM EDT Saying the president was "grasping at straws," a federal judge on Saturday threw out Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a story reporting on his ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice, ruling that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice as required by law. The ruling said the lawsuit had attempted to "manufacture" flaws in the Journal's investigative reporting. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. When a case is thrown out "with prejudice," it…
Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter
In short
The dispute originated after the publication detailed ties between Donald Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, focusing on an allegedly sexually suggestive 2003 birthday letter bearing Trump's name that was assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump denied writing the note and claimed the coverage inflicted massive financial and reputational harm. However, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that the amended complaint presented merely vague allegations that failed to show reckless disregard for the truth. Importantly, the court observed that the article fairly informed readers of Trump's denial by noting he considered the letter to be a fake.
Key points
- The plaintiff failed to satisfy the actual malice standard set by the Supreme Court in Ne…: The plaintiff failed to satisfy the actual malice standard set by the Supreme Court in New York Times Co. versus Sullivan.
- The news organization mitigated defamation claims by explicitly reporting Donald Trump's…: The news organization mitigated defamation claims by explicitly reporting Donald Trump's denial that he authored the birthday document.
- The dismissal with prejudice permanently ends the lawsuit and prevents the legal claims f…: The dismissal with prejudice permanently ends the lawsuit and prevents the legal claims from being refiled in federal court.