Judge Dismisses Trump's $10B Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal

The ruling centered on the high legal bar for public figures to prove defamation.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 3:04am

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A cinematic painting of an empty courtroom bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, with a lone judge's gavel resting on the bench, conceptually representing the legal complexities of a high-profile defamation case.The dismissal of Trump's high-profile defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal highlights the legal challenges public figures face when suing the media.Today in Miami

A federal judge in Florida dismissed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against media executive Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. The judge ruled that Trump failed to meet the 'actual malice' standard required for public figures to prevail in defamation claims.

Why it matters

This case highlights the high legal bar that public figures must clear to successfully sue media outlets for defamation under U.S. law. The ruling underscores the First Amendment protections afforded to the press, even when reporting on controversial public figures.

The details

The lawsuit stemmed from a 2025 Wall Street Journal article that claimed Trump had sent a bawdy 50th birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The judge dismissed the case because Trump did not plausibly allege the defendants published the article with 'actual malice' - meaning they did not deliberately avoid investigating the truth of the statements. The court noted the WSJ had attempted to verify the information before publication.

  • The lawsuit was filed in April 2026.
  • The judge dismissed the case on April 13, 2026.
  • Trump has until April 27, 2026 to file an amended complaint.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who filed the $10 billion defamation lawsuit.

Rupert Murdoch

The media executive who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside The Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

The newspaper that published the article that was the basis of Trump's defamation lawsuit.

Judge Darrin P. Gayles

The U.S. District Court judge who dismissed Trump's lawsuit, ruling he failed to meet the 'actual malice' standard.

Jeffrey Epstein

The convicted sex offender whose 50th birthday letter to Trump was the subject of the disputed Wall Street Journal article.

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What they’re saying

“The complaint falls short of pleading actual malice and the president comes nowhere close to the required standard to prove that the newspaper deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statements.”

— Judge Darrin P. Gayles, U.S. District Court Judge

“We will follow Judge Gayles's ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants.”

— Representative for Donald Trump

What’s next

Trump has until April 27, 2026 to file an amended complaint addressing the court's concerns about pleading actual malice.

The takeaway

This case underscores the high legal bar public figures must clear to prove defamation, even against media reports they consider unfair or inaccurate. The ruling affirms the strong First Amendment protections afforded to the press when reporting on controversial public figures.