Judge Again Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Suit Against WSJ

· Entertainment · United States

A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for a second time, over its reporting on a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein purportedly written by Trump. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles wrote that the lawsuit "falls short of pleading actual malice," the legal standard for public figures. The suit targeted the paper's 2025 report on the letter. The ruling reinforces protections for news organizations covering public figures and is a notable legal win for the Journal's parent, Dow Jones.

Why it matters：The ruling strengthens the actual-malice shield that media outlets rely on when covering powerful figures, setting an expectation for similar defamation fights.

Key points

  • Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled the suit failed to plead actual malice
  • Case concerned a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein
  • It was the second dismissal of the claim

Sources (original reporting)

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