U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch, seeking at least $10 billion in damages. The lawsuit stems from the newspaper’s reporting that Trump’s name appeared on a 2003 birthday card sent to Jeffrey Epstein, which allegedly featured a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets.
Defamation Claims and High-Profile Defendants
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, names Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp, and News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, along with two Wall Street Journal journalists, as defendants. The complaint alleges that they defamed Trump and caused him significant financial damage and harm to his reputation.
Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex trafficker, died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019. His case fueled conspiracy theories and gained prominence among Trump supporters who believe the government concealed Epstein’s connections to wealthy and powerful individuals.
Trump has consistently maintained that he severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s legal issues became public in 2006.
Trump’s Strong Reaction and WSJ’s Defense
President Trump has denied The Wall Street Journal’s reporting and had previously warned Murdoch of his intent to sue. Dow Jones, the newspaper’s parent company, is a subsidiary of News Corp.
“We have just filed a POWERFUL lawsuit against all those involved in the publication of the false, malicious, defamatory, and FAKE article in the worthless newspaper, The Wall Street Journal,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ face hours of depositions in this case,” he added.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones issued a statement asserting, “We have full confidence in the accuracy of our reporting, and we will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
The lawsuit describes the alleged birthday card as “false” and claims The Wall Street Journal published the article with the intent to damage Trump’s image. “It appears the article does not explain whether the defendants secured a copy of the letter, saw it, had it described to them, or any other circumstance that would give credibility to the article,” the complaint states.
Legal Hurdles and Epstein Case Developments
To win a defamation case, Trump would need to prove that the defendants acted with “actual malice,” meaning they knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
The Epstein case has recently stirred renewed attention, as the U.S. Department of Justice concluded this month that there was no evidence to support long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s clients and his death. Some of Trump’s most loyal supporters were angered when his administration reversed course and abandoned a promise to release files related to the case.
On July 7, the Department of Justice stated that Epstein committed suicide and that there was no “list of involved clients” or evidence indicating Epstein had blackmailed powerful individuals.
Trump stated on Thursday that he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek a court order for the release of grand jury testimonies in the Epstein case. A day later, the U.S. government requested the federal court in Manhattan to release the grand jury transcripts in the cases of Epstein and his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 for her role in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and is currently appealing her 20-year prison sentence to the U.S. Supreme Court.
