A U.S. federal judge has dealt a significant blow to Donald Trump's legal campaign against major media outlets, dismissing a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a birthday card allegedly signed by Trump and sent to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Miami-based U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled Monday that Trump failed to meet the "actual malice" standard required for public figures to win defamation cases — meaning he could not prove the newspaper either knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
"This complaint comes nowhere close to this standard," Gayles wrote in his dismissal. "Quite the opposite."
The case centred on a Wall Street Journal article describing the birthday card to Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on child sex trafficking charges. Trump and his legal team have consistently denied the card's authenticity, even after it was released publicly by congressional investigators examining Epstein's case.
A Turning Point in Trump's Media Wars
The lawsuit represents one of several defamation cases Trump has filed against major news organizations during his presidency, claiming unfair or false reporting. Press freedom advocates and Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that Trump is using such litigation to suppress critical coverage and intimidate media outlets.
The judge's decision underscored a critical detail in the case: Wall Street Journal reporters had reached out to Trump for comment before publishing the article and included his denial in their reporting. This editorial practice, Gayles noted, allowed readers to evaluate the claims themselves — undercutting Trump's argument that the newspaper acted maliciously.
"The Journal's reporters reached out to Trump for comment beforehand, and printed his denial," the judge explained, indicating that responsible journalism practices contradicted claims of intentional wrongdoing.
"We are pleased with the judge's decision to dismiss this complaint. We stand behind the reliability, rigour and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal's reporting," said a spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal's parent company.
Trump Signals Legal Comeback
Despite the dismissal, Trump has signalled his intention to fight back. Judge Gayles granted Trump until April 27 to file an amended version of the lawsuit. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he would refile the case by that deadline.
The Epstein saga has generated widespread conspiracy theories regarding government cover-ups and alleged connections between the financier and powerful individuals. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump amplified such theories and promised to release government investigative files if elected. However, he has not fulfilled that pledge and has since characterized the scandal as a "Democratic hoax."
It is worth noting that Judge Gayles' ruling did not determine the veracity of the Wall Street Journal's article — only whether Trump could proceed with his defamation claim under applicable law.
This article is based on reporting from CBC World.