On October 31, a U.S. federal judge dismissed the 10 billion-dollar libel lawsuit filed against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Murdoch by U.S. President Trump, stating that the actions were 'grabbing at straws'.
This lawsuit stems from a report that involves Trump and convicted sex offender Epstein.
On October 31, U.S. District Court Judge Darrin Gayles permanently dismissed the lawsuit in Miami. Judge Gayles ruled that Trump failed to prove that The Wall Street Journal had actual malice in reporting his alleged sending of birthday cards to Epstein.
The ruling stated that the lawsuit attempted to 'fabricate' claims that there were flaws in the investigative reports published by The Wall Street Journal.
The media stated that this rejection is a blow to Trump and his government. During his second term in office, Trump and his government have had tense relations with many news organizations.
This lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal was initiated due to a report published by the media in 2025. The report mentioned a letter signed by Trump and depicting nude women.
Trump's Birthday Letter to Epstein: Wall Street Journal
According to reports, this letter was part of a birthday booklet created by Epstein’s associate and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2003 to celebrate Epstein’s 50th birthday. This birthday booklet was discovered during Epstein’s first arrest in 2006 and is one of the key documents in the investigation over the years. It contains birthday messages, poems, and hand-drawn drawings from dozens of friends, including Trump.
In this letter signed by Trump, the text appears to have hand-drawn outlines of female nudity around it. At the end, it reads, “Happy birthday—may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Regarding this, Trump denied it, calling the report "false and malicious, and a libel."
This lawsuit was filed in the Miami Federal Court, accusing The Wall Street Journal and its journalists of 'knowingly and recklessly' publishing 'many false, defamatory, and demeaning statements', which caused Trump 'substantial financial and reputational losses'.
Giles dismissed the lawsuit in April this year, stating that Trump failed to prove that the report was published with malice. However, he gave Trump an opportunity to submit a revised indictment.
Giles pointed out on October 31 that the revised indictment failed to prove the defendant's existence of 'actual malice'. The judge emphasized that the report in The Wall Street Journal did not ignore or downplay Trump's denial. 'On the contrary, it told readers that President Trump condemned this letter as false and denied having written it.'
Giles also stated that several other allegations in the lawsuit have no basis in fact.
