Judge dismisses Trump's defamation suit against Murdoch and Wall Street Journal
The gist
A Miami federal judge dismissed with prejudice Trump's amended defamation suit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over an Epstein birthday letter.
The ruling ends this round, but Trump's legal team says it will keep pressing the case.
How it unfolded
- 2025The Wall Street Journal published a story describing a sexually suggestive letter it said bore Trump's name, included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday.
- Apr 2026Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Trump's lawsuit, ruling Trump came "nowhere close" to showing actual malice; Trump's legal team refiled.
- Oct 31, 2026Judge Gayles dismissed the amended defamation lawsuit with prejudice against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, finding Trump did not prove actual malice.