JUST IN: Obama Judge DISMISSES President Trump’s WSJ Defamation Lawsuit Over Bogus Epstein Letter

Judge tosses his $20bn lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday card just days before midterms https://t.co/U0UYQkszYt

— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) November 1, 2026

Click to expand...

BREAKING

Donald Trump LOSES his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over the exposé of his contribution to Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday book.

Dismissed WITH PREJUDICE

Doc https://t.co/qF2IhzFy30 pic.twitter.com/fYjX7qX4bu

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) October 31, 2026

Click to expand...

In a 20-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice on Saturday, ruling that Mr. Trump did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice.

He said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” as it attempted to “manufacture” flaws in the WSJ’s investigative reporting.

Actual malice requires that plaintiffs prove that statements made about a public figure were published with the knowledge that they were false, or with disregard for whether they are true or not.

When a case is thrown out “with prejudice,” it cannot be refiled again, and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible…

The lawsuit was over a story the WSJ published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter that the paper said bore Mr. Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

The president dismissed the story as “FAKE” and filed a $20 billion lawsuit against the paper, its parent company News Corp, the company’s CEO, the reporters who wrote the story and Rupert Murdoch, News Corp’s chairman emeritus.

House lawmakers later subpoenaed and obtained a redacted version of the birthday book from Epstein’s estate, which included the letter at the center of Mr. Trump’s lawsuit. Then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”

Click to expand...

A spokesman for Trump’s legal team confirmed to CNBC that the president plans to appeal the ruling.

“President Trump will continue to press forward in his powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants,” the spokesman said in a statement. “The President will continue to hold those who mislead the American People with Fake News and smears accountable for their actions.”

Click to expand...