Trump Fails with Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal
A US court has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over an article related to Jeffrey Epstein, although the judge allowed him to file an amended complaint.
Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump failed to meet the “actual malice” standard required in defamation cases involving public figures. This standard requires proof not only that a claim is false, but that it was published knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth.
The court noted that the newspaper had contacted the US president before publication and included his denial in the article, allowing readers to form their own judgement. In his lawsuit, Trump described the material as “false” and sought damages of 10 billion dollars. The publisher, Dow Jones, maintains that the July 2025 article is accurate.
The judge set an April 27 deadline for Trump to submit an amended complaint. Neither his lawyers nor the White House immediately commented on the ruling. The case is one of several disputes Trump has had with the media during his time in office.