President Donald Trump has filed a libel lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and two of its reporters, seeking at least $20 billion in damages. The suit, filed in federal court in Miami, alleges the publication defamed Trump by falsely linking him to a sexually explicit note reportedly gifted to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

At issue is the Journal's reporting on a compilation of letters presented to Epstein for his 50th birthday, three years before Epstein's first arrest. According to the Journal, the materials included a note bearing Trump's name alongside the outline of a naked woman, signed simply as “Donald.” The letter reportedly ended with the phrase: "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump immediately disputed the accuracy of the Journal’s report, labeling it “fake” and publicly threatening to sue shortly after publication. In an 18-page complaint, Trump's attorneys accused Dow Jones & Company, which owns The Wall Street Journal, of "glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting." The suit claims no such letter or drawing authored by Trump exists, emphasizing the Journal did not publish any visual evidence supporting its allegations.

“The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in the filing.

Dow Jones responded swiftly, releasing a statement defending its reporting: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."

The suit marks Trump’s ongoing legal battles against media companies he perceives as adversaries. Named specifically as defendants are Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo. Trump alleges that Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, the Journal’s parent company, personally promised to address Trump’s concerns before publication but failed to do so.

"I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case," Trump stated in a Truth Social post shortly after filing the lawsuit.

Legal experts noted the lawsuit's unique circumstances. First Amendment attorney Ted Boutrous, speaking to CNN, pointed out that it was highly unusual for a sitting president to file a defamation suit against a media outlet. He noted, "As far as I can tell, no sitting president has ever sued a reporter or media outlet or media executive for allegedly defaming him. When you have the presidential bully pulpit, you simply don't need to sue to get to the truth."

The lawsuit arrives amid renewed scrutiny of Trump's past relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Trump, during his 2024 re-election campaign, vowed transparency regarding Epstein's connections to prominent figures, responding to demands from his supporters for further clarity about Epstein's activities and controversial death.

A Justice Department memo released earlier this month stated there was no evidence Epstein maintained a "client list" implicating high-profile associates in alleged sexual crimes. This revelation disappointed some Trump supporters and strained the former president’s political coalition.

The Wall Street Journal suit is just the latest in a string of legal actions Trump has initiated against news outlets. He previously settled defamation cases against ABC and CBS News, securing multi-million-dollar settlements toward his future presidential library. Other cases against Meta and X, formerly known as Twitter, were similarly resolved, though multiple suits remain pending.