Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch with prejudice on Saturday. He ruled Trump failed to plausibly allege the defendants acted with actual malice. The Journal reported that Trump sent a bawdy 50th-birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein; Trump denies writing it. He could appeal.
More context
District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami on Saturday dismissed with prejudice Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The suit challenged the paper’s story about a bawdy 50th-birthday letter to financier Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s name; Trump has denied writing it.
In a 20-page ruling, Gayles said Trump had not plausibly alleged that the defendants published the story with “actual malice,” the standard for a public figure’s defamation claim. Gayles also rejected Trump’s argument that the Journal should have withheld the story after his denial, saying that rule would prevent journalists from publishing negative or contradictory reporting whenever a public figure denied an accusation.
The dismissal bars another filing in district court, though Trump could seek appellate review.
Was this story useful?
What was the main problem? (optional)
Reporting
- CNN — Judge tosses Trump’s lawsuit against Wall Street Journal again, this time for good | CNN Business
- CNBC — Trump defamation suit against Murdoch, WSJ over Epstein letter dismissed with prejudice
- NBC News — Judge dismisses Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit over Jeffrey Epstein birthday card story
- The Wall Street Journal — Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Publisher Again - WSJ
- CBS News — Trump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter dismissed with prejudice - CBS News
- PBS News — Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter | PBS News
- The Guardian — Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter
- Reuters — Judge ends Trump's attempts to sue Wall Street Journal over Epstein reporting
Verifier’s note
CNN, CNBC, NBC News, the Wall Street Journal, CBS News, PBS NewsHour, The Guardian, and Reuters report that a judge dismissed Trump’s suit over the Journal’s Epstein birthday-letter story. Their reports describe the same-day dismissal, with multiple sources noting it was with prejudice and that Trump failed to establish actual malice.