A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, citing failure to meet the standard for proving “actual malice.”
The US District Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch following a report detailing a letter allegedly signed by Trump for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. The lawsuit, seeking $10 billion in damages, was based on the newspaper’s reporting of Trump’s connections to the convicted sex offender. Judge Gayles ruled that Trump failed to demonstrate “actual malice,” the high legal standard public figures must meet in defamation cases. This requires proving the media outlet acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The judge noted that the Wall Street Journal contacted Trump for comment before publishing the story and presented his denial alongside the report, giving readers the opportunity to assess the information themselves. Trump’s lawsuit claimed the newspaper fabricated a sexually suggestive letter with his signature included in an album compiled for Epstein’s birthday. The letter was ultimately revealed by the US Congress after a subpoena of Epstein’s estate records. The judge granted Trump the opportunity to file an amended lawsuit by April 27th. News Corp’s Dow Jones & Company defended the article’s accuracy. This dismissal represents a setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to control the narrative surrounding the release of Epstein files and the resulting media coverage. The White House has not yet commented on the ruling. DATA: Dismissed lawsuit follows Wall Street Journal’s report on a letter allegedly signed by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
✨ This report was generated by AI News Assistant.
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