Judge Again Dismisses Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Letter Reporting

A federal judge has once again dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, ruling that the former president failed to demonstrate actual malice in the newspaper’s reporting on a 2003 birthday letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles found the lawsuit’s allegations insufficient to show the Journal acted with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. The case centered on a 2020 Journal article that described the letter, which Trump reportedly sent to Epstein—a convicted sex offender—when Epstein was in jail. Trump claimed the reporting damaged his reputation, but the court found no evidence the Journal published the story with the required intent. This dismissal marks another legal setback for Trump in his broader campaign against media outlets. The ruling reinforces the high bar for public figures to prove defamation, especially against established news organizations. As Trump continues to pursue similar lawsuits, this outcome signals that courts remain skeptical of claims lacking concrete proof of malice.