Florida judge dismisses Trump defamation suit against WSJ

A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, while allowing him the opportunity to file an amended complaint by April 27, CNBC reports.

The case concerns a July 2024 article alleging that Trump sent a “bawdy” 50th birthday letter to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

US District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump failed to plausibly allege that the defendants acted with “actual malice,” a legal standard requiring proof that journalists knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

Gayles said Trump, who has “adamantly denied sending the letter to his then-friend Epstein in 2003,” had not demonstrated that reporters intentionally avoided verifying his claims that the letter was fabricated.

“Plaintiffs who are public figures like Trump must show that a defendant had actual malice when they made allegedly defamatory statements,” the ruling noted.

The judge wrote that Trump’s complaint “falls short of pleading actual malice” and “comes nowhere close to” showing that the newspaper deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the allegations. He also noted that the Journal contacted the White House, the Justice Department, and the FBI before publication. “The Article explains that, before running the story, Defendants contacted President Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment,” Gayles wrote.

The judge added that Trump denied the allegation at the time, while “the Justice Department did not respond at all, and the FBI declined to comment,” concluding that the defendants had made efforts to verify the story. He also said the article included Trump’s denial, further weakening claims of malice.

However, the court left open the possibility of a revised filing, citing precedent allowing plaintiffs to amend complaints when initially failing to meet pleading standards.

Trump’s legal team said in a statement he would comply with the ruling and refile. “President Trump will follow Judge Gayles’s ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit,” a spokesperson said.

“The President will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in Fake News to mislead the American People,” the statement added.

The White House declined to comment, referring inquiries to Trump’s lawyers.

The Journal article described a letter allegedly bearing Trump’s signature included in an album compiled by Epstein, reportedly arranged by Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump denied authorship, saying: “This is not me. This is a fake thing.”

Epstein, who had been charged with sex trafficking, died in custody in 2019.

By Vafa Guliyeva