A Florida judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a report that he sent a 'bawdy' letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The judge ruled that the complaint failed to adequately allege 'actual malice', the standard required for defamation cases involving public figures.
The lawsuit, filed last summer, argued that a lewd drawing mentioned in the Journal’s July 2025 article was fake. Trump had personally called Murdoch to try to prevent publication of the story, which was part of a series on Epstein’s associates.
Judge Darrin P Gayles wrote that there was 'significant evidence' the Journal sought to verify the drawing’s authenticity, and that Trump’s denial did not prove the paper acted with serious doubts. The judge gave Trump until 27 April to refile the case with additional evidence.
Trump’s legal team said they would follow the judge’s guidance and refile a 'powerhouse lawsuit'. Trump himself posted on Truth Social that the ruling was 'not a termination' but a suggested refiling. A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent company, welcomed the dismissal and defended the paper’s reporting.
