A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, finding that the president failed to sufficiently allege the publication acted with actual malice.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued the ruling Monday, while granting Trump leave to file an amended complaint by April 27, according to PBS.
The lawsuit arose from a July 2025 article examining Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The report described a sexually suggestive letter, purportedly signed by Trump, included in a 2003 birthday album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump has denied writing the letter and has characterized the reporting as false and defamatory.
In his order, Gayles noted that attorneys for the newspaper and Murdoch had asked the court to determine that the article’s statements were true and therefore not defamatory, but he declined to resolve those questions at this stage. “Whether President Trump was the author of the Letter or Epstein’s friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation,” Gayles wrote.
The judge instead focused on the legal standard governing defamation claims brought by public figures, concluding Trump’s complaint fell short. According to court filings and reporting on the decision, Gayles stated that the complaint “comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite.” He pointed to the Journal’s reporting process, noting that its journalists had contacted Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI prior to publication.
The ruling marks a setback for Trump’s broader campaign to challenge media coverage he views as unfair, particularly as scrutiny continues over documents related to Epstein.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones & Company welcomed the decision. “We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal’s reporting,” the spokesperson said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump’s legal team has indicated it plans to refile the case in accordance with the court’s guidance. The original lawsuit followed Trump’s public pledge to pursue legal action shortly after the article was published.
