Donald Trump Has His 10 Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against WSJ Tossed By A Federal Judge (4/14/26)

A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which stemmed from a report about a sexually suggestive letter allegedly included in a birthday book compiled for Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had claimed the story was false and damaging, insisting the letter was fabricated and suing the paper, its parent company, and associated figures. However, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump’s legal team failed to meet the required standard for defamation involving public figures—specifically, they did not plausibly show that the publication acted with “actual malice,” meaning knowingly publishing false information or acting with reckless disregard for the truth.The court noted that the newspaper had taken steps to verify the information and had reached out to Trump for comment before publication, which weakened his claim. While the case was dismissed, it was done without prejudice, meaning Trump has the option to amend and refile the lawsuit with stronger arguments by a set deadline. The ruling represents a setback in Trump’s broader pattern of legal challenges against media outlets over coverage tied to Epstein and other controversies, with the judge emphasizing that the original complaint lacked sufficient evidence to proceed.to contact me:[email protected]:Judge tosses Trump's $10 billion suit against the WSJ over Epstein birthday book report