What Happened to Donald Trump vs. The Wall Street Journal Defamation Lawsuit?

The lawsuit pitting Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal originated from an article published by the newspaper in July 2025. The article reported on a 'bawdy' letter and drawing allegedly sent by Trump to financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 as part of a 50th birthday album. Trump vehemently denied authoring the letter, calling the story 'false, malicious, and defamatory' and subsequently threatened to sue the publication and its owner, Rupert Murdoch.

Trump officially filed the defamation lawsuit in federal court in Miami, Florida, seeking damages initially reported as $10 billion, with some sources indicating 'at least $20 billion' or 'no less than $10 billion.' The suit named The Wall Street Journal's publisher Dow Jones & Co., its parent company News Corp., CEO Robert Thomson, majority owner Rupert Murdoch, and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo as defendants. Trump's legal team argued that the defendants 'knowingly and recklessly' published false statements, causing 'overwhelming financial and reputational harm.' The Wall Street Journal, for its part, maintained full confidence in the 'rigor and accuracy of its reporting' and pledged to 'vigorously defend against any lawsuit.'

A key turning point in the case came in September 2025 when the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, asserting that the article was factual and that congressional documents, released later, corroborated their reporting. Indeed, the alleged letter itself was later publicly released by Congress after subpoenaing records from Epstein's estate, adding another layer to the public discourse surrounding the case.

The most significant development occurred on April 13, 2026, when U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles dismissed Trump's lawsuit. The judge's ruling hinged on Trump's failure to plausibly allege that The Wall Street Journal published the article with 'actual malice.' This legal standard, established in New York Times v. Sullivan, requires a public figure to prove that the defamatory statement was made with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. Judge Gayles stated that Trump's complaint 'comes nowhere close to this standard.' While dismissing the current complaint, the judge granted Trump the opportunity to file an amended complaint, leaving the door open for further legal action. This lawsuit is one of several legal battles Trump has waged against media organizations, reflecting a broader strategy to challenge reporting he deems critical.