Judge Gayles dismisses Trump’s $10 billion WSJ defamation case
- Judge Darrin P. Gayles permanently dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal.
- The court ruled that Trump failed to meet the legal standard of 'actual malice' regarding the disputed Epstein birthday letter.
- The lawsuit, valued at $10 billion by several outlets, was dismissed with prejudice, barring further litigation on the matter.
- Trump’s legal team has confirmed that the president intends to appeal the judge's ruling.
- The disputed 2003 letter was published by the newspaper after being shared with Congress by the Epstein estate.
Federal Judge Darrin P. Gayles permanently dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, and associated journalists and publishers on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. This ruling marks the second time a court has dismissed the case, which centers on reporting regarding an alleged birthday letter from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
The dismissal is with prejudice, meaning the president is permanently barred from bringing another lawsuit against the outlet regarding this matter. This decision concludes the legal challenge against the newspaper’s coverage of the Epstein files.
Court finds failure to prove actual malice in Epstein reporting
Judge Gayles ruled that Trump failed to prove "actual malice," the required legal standard for defamation. The court found the president’s allegations were "conclusory, vague, sometimes inconsistent with the article, and often irrelevant to whether Defendants knew or should have known that the statements in the article were purportedly false".
Trump filed the $10 billion lawsuit last summer, claiming that a letter and drawing mentioned in the newspaper report do not exist and that the signature on the document is not his. In an order from April, Judge Gayles dismissed the first lawsuit, stating that Trump came "nowhere close to this standard" regarding the requirement to prove actual malice.
Disputed 2003 birthday greeting and publication history
The lawsuit concerns a story about a birthday card addressed to Jeffrey Epstein. The 2003 greeting included the message, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey," and "A pal is a wonderful thing.
The writing was positioned within the silhouette of a woman’s form. The Epstein estate provided the letter to members of Congress last year, and The Wall Street Journal subsequently published it.
Trump legal team confirms intent to appeal
A spokesperson for the legal team of Donald Trump confirmed that the president intends to appeal the ruling by the judge.
Legislative impact and public interactions regarding Epstein coverage
The publication of the letter prompted increased government scrutiny of investigations into Epstein. Trump signed a measure into law that compelled the release of millions of documents related to the Epstein investigations.
Trump has faced no charges of criminal misconduct, and his mention in the Epstein files does not imply otherwise. In July, the president attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner where he shook hands with Wall Street Journal reporters who received awards for their coverage of the scandal.
Conflicting reports on the value of the legal claim
The New York Times, The Telegraph, and NBC News reported the value of the lawsuit as $10 billion. The Hindustan Times reported the value of the claim as $20 billion.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Judge permanently throws out Trump’s Wall Street Journal defamation lawsuit over Epstein letter story (independent.co.uk)
- Defamation (Wikipedia — background) (en.wikipedia.org)
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