Judge Ends Trump's Billion Dollar Case Against Journal

A federal judge in Miami permanently dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled on Saturday that the case would not be allowed to proceed. The dismissal was issued with prejudice, which means the lawsuit cannot be filed again. The court found that Trump did not provide enough evidence to support his claims. He failed to prove that the defendants published defamatory statements with actual malice.

The suit centered on a story published by The Wall Street Journal last year. The article described a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that the newspaper said bore Trump's name. The letter was part of an album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly collected the item for the album. This occurred years before Epstein was first arrested in 2006 and later had a falling out with Trump.

The letter contained text framed by the outline of a hand-drawn naked woman. It ended with the phrase, Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret. Trump denied writing the letter. He called the story false, malicious, and defamatory. He alleged that the paper and its reporters knowingly and recklessly published numerous false statements. He claimed this caused overwhelming financial and reputational harm to him.

Judge Gayles had previously dismissed the initial complaint in April. At that time, the judge said Trump had not made the argument that the article was published with malicious intent. The judge gave the president an opportunity to file an amended complaint, which he did in May. The second dismissal concluded that the new arguments still fell short.

The ruling cited the Supreme Court's 1964 decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. That case established a standard for public figures in libel suits. It requires proof that a media outlet knowingly published false information or showed a reckless disregard for the truth. Gayles wrote that the amended complaint failed to plead actual malice. He described the allegations as conclusory and vague. He noted that some claims were inconsistent with the article itself.

The judge also observed that the newspaper did not ignore Trump's denial. The story informed readers that the president decried the letter as a fake and denied writing it. Gayles stated that several other allegations in the lawsuit lacked merit. He said the suit attempted to manufacture flaws in the investigative reporting.

This decision adds to a series of legal conflicts between the White House and news organizations during Trump's second term. The administration has pursued adversarial relationships with major media outlets. Trump is currently involved in lawsuits with the BBC and The Associated Press. He is also embroiled in disputes with CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Those outlets are suing for restored access after he banned them from the White House in mid-September.

Trump has frequently denounced media outlets that publish stories he objects to. He often labels them fake news and insults their journalists. The White House did not provide an immediate public reaction to Saturday's decision. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.