United States President Donald Trump had filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal publication and its owners, containing media magnate Rupert Murdoch, seeking no less than $10 billion in damages over the release of an explosive report detailing the president’s association with the notorious high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump filed the case in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, as he attempted to prevent a growing scandal around the Epstein case from spreading further and threatening to cause him serious political damage.
Trump also directed the U.S. Justice Department to request the unsealing of grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case, as well as in the case of his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on five federal charges for her involvement in Epstein’s sexual exploitation of underage girls.
The paper claimed the letter, in the early 2000s, featured Mr. Trump's signature as well as a birthday message and a drawing of a nude woman. According to the Journal's report, it was collected in a book along with letters from other friends and acquaintances to mark Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The president has declaimed the report, calling the letter a "FAKE."
The president has previously acknowledged he crossed paths with Epstein years ago, but had stated they had a "falling out."
Mr. Trump alluded to it as a "POWERHOUSE Lawsuit" and a "historic legal action." in a Truth Social post.
A Dow Jones spokesperson started in a statement: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."
In summary, In the U.S., winning a defamation case is particularly challenging, especially for public figures. They must show not only that the statements were false, but also that they were made with "actual malice" — that is, the person either knew the claims were untrue or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
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