Judge dismisses Donald Trump defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal again

A federal judge in Florida has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal. Variety, Deadline, and CNN reported that U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles threw out the case on Saturday. The lawsuit centered on a 2025 article published by the newspaper regarding a 2003 birthday letter sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was allegedly written by Donald Trump. [1][2][4][5][6][7][8]

Deadline and The New York Times reported that the lawsuit sought 10 billion dollars in damages. Variety and Deadline reported that Judge Gayles wrote in his opinion that the filing falls short of pleading actual malice. The judge stated that the legal allegations regarding malice were conclusory and vague. [1][2][8]

The birthday letter in question was part of a three-volume bound album assembled in 2003 for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday. The collection was put together by Ghislaine Maxwell, who requested photos, drawings, and personal messages from various associates of the financier. [11]

The Wall Street Journal is a daily newspaper based in New York City that is published by Dow Jones and Company, a division of News Corp. CNN reported that the federal court judge dismissed the defamation case for good, ending Donald Trump's attempts to sue the publication over its coverage. [5][7][9]