Judge Throws Out Trump Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal

A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal for a second time. The case centered on a 2025 report by the newspaper about a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that was supposedly written by Trump.

The Court Ruling

U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles wrote that the lawsuit falls short of proving actual malice. The judge noted that the claims about malice were vague, inconsistent, and often irrelevant. This time, the judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, which means Trump cannot file the claim again.

Background

In April, the same judge dismissed the first complaint without prejudice because it was a first attempt. Trump initially filed the suit in July 2025 and sought at least $20 billion in damages. The lawsuit named the newspaper, parent companies Dow Jones and Company and News Corp, the reporters, and Rupert Murdoch.

Context

Defamation lawsuits involving public figures in the United States must meet a high legal standard known as actual malice. This means the person suing must show that the publisher either knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Courts often dismiss such cases early if the legal complaint fails to include enough specific facts to support that strict standard.