Federal judge dismisses Trump defamation lawsuit against Murdoch and Wall Street Journal

UPDATE - follow-up to Trump defamation suit against Murdoch, WSJ over Epstein letter dismissed with prejudice: A federal judge in Miami dismissed President Donald Trump's amended defamation lawsuit with prejudice against media baron Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal on Saturday.

Legal Ruling

Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump cannot file another amended version of the lawsuit in the district court because the dismissal is with prejudice. This follows an earlier dismissal of the $10 billion lawsuit roughly six months ago by the same judge. Judge Gayles stated that Trump failed to plausibly allege the defendants published the article with actual malice, a legal requirement for public figures.

Reactions and Appeal

A spokesman for Trump's legal team told CNBC that the president plans to appeal the ruling and continue pressing forward with the lawsuit. Representatives for the Journal and Murdoch did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Background

The underlying dispute stems from a July 17, 2025 article by The Wall Street Journal stating that Trump sent a bawdy 50th birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump has adamantly denied writing the letter, calling it fake and stating he never draws pictures of women. The amended complaint had included new claims, such as a phone call where Murdoch allegedly told Trump he would handle it.

Context

Public figures face a high legal bar in United States courts when suing for defamation, as they must prove the publisher acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth. Judges frequently dismiss such suits early in the legal process if the plaintiff fails to meet this strict standard under First Amendment protections.