Trump’s $10b Defamation Case Against WSJ Over Epstein-Tied Story Thrown Out by US Judge

• A United States court has dismissed Donald Trump’s $10B defamation case against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch
• The case did stem from a report linking President Trump to a letter tied to Jeffrey Epstein in a 2003 birthday album
• The judge, however, ruled insufficient “actual malice” evidence while allowing Trump to refile an amended complaint

A United States federal judge has thrown out President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, but has left him a chance to try again.

The case was tied to a report about Trump’s past links with Jeffrey Epstein. The article claimed a sexually suggestive letter with Trump’s name appeared in a birthday album compiled for Epstein in 2003.

Jeffrey Epstein was a US financier who became widely known not for business success, but for serious criminal allegations and convictions tied to sexual abuse and trâffîckîng.

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Trump strongly denied the claim, calling the story “false, malicious, and defamatory,” and moved to sue the newspaper shortly after the report was published.

However, District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida, on Monday, April 13, ruled that Trump did not sufficiently show that the story was published with actual malice, a key requirement in defamation cases involving public figures. Because of this, the case was dismissed for now.

Still, the judge did not fully close the door, as reported by The Associated Press. He said Trump can submit an updated complaint if he strengthens his arguments.

Lawyers for The Wall Street Journal and Murdoch had argued that the reporting was based on truthful information and therefore could not count as defamation.

The judge, however, said issues like whether Trump actually wrote the letter or his exact relationship with Epstein are matters that would need deeper examination later, not at this early stage.

Pope Leo: Trump shares AI image as Jesus Christ

Previously, Legit.ng reported that U.S. President Donald Trump caused controversy after sharing an AI-generated image portraying himself as Jesus Christ. This intensified tensions with the Vatican and drew global criticism.

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The post followed Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, whom he accused of being weak on crime and foreign policy, after the pontiff called for restraint amid escalating global conflicts.

Pope Leo XIV, who urged peace and warned against “self-idolatry,” stressed dialogue over war, as the growing rift between the Vatican and the United States continues to deepen over global policy differences.

Childhood photo of Trump resurfaces amid war

In another report, Legit.ng reported that a rare childhood photo of US President Donald Trump resurfaced online. This drew renewed attention to his early life as global tensions continue in the Middle East.

The image highlights Trump’s family background as the fourth of five children and his early connection to his father’s construction business before later building a career in real estate and media.

His political journey, from business mogul to US president, remains widely debated amid ongoing legal challenges and renewed election ambitions, keeping him at the centre of global political and media attention.

Source: Legit.ng