Trump Loses $10 Billion Lawsuit Against The Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Letter

A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a sexually suggestive birthday letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein, finding that his attorneys failed to plausibly allege the newspaper knowingly or recklessly published false information.

U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued the ruling Saturday, October 31, 2026, dismissing Trump's amended complaint with prejudice after rejecting an earlier version of the lawsuit. The decision prevents Trump from filing another amended complaint in the district court, although he can appeal.

Gayles described Trump's efforts to challenge the Journal's investigation as "grasping at straws," pointing to the newspaper's attempts to contact the president and others before publication and its decision to include Trump's denial in the story.

Those reporting steps undermined Trump's allegation of actual malice, which requires public officials bringing defamation claims to show that a publisher knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for its accuracy.

The Journal reported in July 2025 that a letter bearing Trump's name, containing sexually suggestive language framed by a drawing of a woman's body, appeared in an album prepared for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Trump denied writing or signing it and accused the newspaper of publishing fabricated material.

In September, the House Oversight Committee released a copy of the disputed birthday-book material obtained from Epstein's estate. The document's authenticity remained contested, and Gayles' ruling did not determine who authored the letter.

Trump filed the lawsuit in July 2025 against the Journal, its publisher Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch and other defendants, seeking at least $10 billion in damages. Gayles dismissed the original complaint in April 2026 but allowed his attorneys to amend it in May.

The revised complaint raised additional objections to the newspaper's investigation and alleged harm to Trump's reputation and business interests. Gayles also found that Trump had failed to identify the specific financial losses required to support one of his defamation theories.

Trump's attorneys plan to appeal the ruling. Dow Jones welcomed the dismissal and defended the Journal's reporting, while the defendants may pursue attorney's fees in further proceedings before Gayles.