Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against WSJ and Murdoch
Key Takeaways
- Federal judge dismissed Trump's defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch.
- Judge ruled Trump failed to show actual malice in reporting Epstein birthday letter.
- Trump may amend or refile by April 27, per order.
Judge Dismisses Trump Suit
A federal judge in Florida dismissed Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal.
Judge Gayles ruled that Trump had not plausibly alleged actual malice, the legal standard for public figures.
The Journal had contacted Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment before publishing.
Trump responded with a denial, which was included in the article.
Gayles gave Trump two weeks to file an amended complaint.
The ruling did not address whether the statements were true.
The Birthday Letter
The lawsuit centered on a Wall Street Journal article about a letter bearing Trump's signature in an album Epstein was giving for his 50th birthday.
The letter contained typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, with Trump's signature mimicking pubic hair.
The letter concluded: Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret.
Trump angrily denied writing the letter, saying This is not me. This is a fake thing.
The letter was subsequently released publicly by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The Journal noted the letter was at the request of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Supply Chain Under Scrutiny
Rahman Textile produced clothing for several European fashion brands, including Hessen and BrandBox.
“Skip to main content 34 mins ago - Business Judge tosses Trump's lawsuit against WSJ over Epstein letter Sara Fischer email (opens in new window) sms (opens in new window) facebook (opens in new window) twitter (opens in new window) linkedin (opens in new window) bluesky (opens in new window) Add Axios as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google”
Both companies said they were deeply saddened and would review their Bangladesh operations.
Hessen's compliance team had audited the factory in March.
Rahman Textile owner Faisal Rahman claimed the factory had passed its most recent safety inspection in January.
Clean Clothes Campaign said the audit system was fundamentally broken.
The Dhaka Tribune reported Rahman was being questioned about welded shut emergency exits.
More on USA
Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV as Weak, Pope Defies and Says He Has No Fear
17 sources compared
Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10B Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Letter
17 sources compared
Peter Magyar's Tisza Party Ends Viktor Orban's 16-Year Rule With Landslide Win
51 sources compared
Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV and Posts AI Image of Himself as Jesus Christ
25 sources compared