A U.S. District Judge in Miami has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by President Trump against The Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit involved a story linking Trump’s name to Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday book. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled on Saturday that Trump couldn’t prove the defendants acted with actual malice. The ruling described the lawsuit as ‘grasping at straws’ by trying to identify faults in the WSJ’s reporting.
Actual malice requires the plaintiff to show that the statements were knowingly false or published with reckless disregard for the truth. A ‘with prejudice’ dismissal means the case is dismissed permanently and cannot be refiled. A spokesperson for Trump indicated plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing Trump’s intent to challenge ‘Fake News’ and hold media accountable.
The $20 billion lawsuit was sparked by a WSJ article describing a letter supposedly signed by Trump in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump dismissed the story as ‘FAKE.’ The lawsuit named multiple defendants, including News Corp, its CEO, and Rupert Murdoch.
House lawmakers later acquired a redacted copy of the birthday book from Epstein’s estate, which included the letter central to Trump’s legal complaint. Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump neither drew nor signed the letter. Despite refiling, in April, Gayles found Trump’s legal team failed to meet the necessary legal standards, stating that they were far from proving ‘actual malice.’
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