Judge throws out Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal
A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal
MIAMI, United States (MNTV) – A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a report about an alleged crude birthday card sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ruling that Trump’s complaint falls far short of the legal standard required to sustain such a claim.
Judge Darrin Gayles concluded that Trump “comes nowhere close” to meeting the actual malice standard, which requires showing a false statement was made with knowledge of its falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
He noted that the Journal had contacted Trump, the Justice Department and the FBI for comment before publication, received Trump’s denial, and reviewed the letter in question. “President Trump’s conclusory allegation that Defendants had contradictory evidence and failed to investigate is rebutted by the Article,” Gayles wrote.
Trump brought the case last July after the Journal reported that a 2003 birthday album prepared for Epstein appeared to contain a card from Trump including a hand-drawn sketch of a nude woman and a typed note.
Trump denied involvement, and his attorney claimed the story was fabricated. Epstein’s estate later released a copy of a card matching the Journal’s description; Trump and the White House have continued to insist it is fake. The judge’s ruling did not address whether Trump actually authored the card, saying that question “cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation.”
Gayles dismissed the case without prejudice, giving Trump two weeks to submit an amended complaint.
Trump’s legal team said they would do so. “We are pleased with the judge’s decision to dismiss this complaint. We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of our reporting,” said a representative for Dow Jones & Co., the Journal’s publisher.
Trump and Epstein were part of the same social circle for more than a decade before their relationship ended in the early 2000s.
Trump has said the split occurred because he viewed Epstein as a “creep.” Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor and died in jail in 2019 awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. The FBI and Justice Department said he preyed on over 1,000 women and girls. Trump has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein and has denied wrongdoing.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
