The Wall Street Journal has requested a judge to dismiss the defamation lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging that an article stating his name appeared on a 2003 birthday message for Jeffrey Epstein was false. Trump filed the lawsuit in July amid criticism from conservative supporters and Democrats regarding his administration’s handling of the Epstein case. The Justice Department decided not to release files from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation in early July, contrary to previous assurances made by Trump and his associates.
Trump, a Republican, has initiated multiple lawsuits against prominent media organizations in recent months, claiming unfair or inaccurate reporting. This has raised concerns among Democrats and advocates for press freedom that he is using defamation cases to suppress critical coverage. To succeed in a defamation case, public figures like Trump must demonstrate “actual malice,” proving that the statement in question was not only false but that the media outlet or individual making it knew or should have known its falsity.
In his lawsuit against the Journal and Rupert Murdoch, Trump labeled the alleged birthday greeting as “fake” and sought $10 billion in damages for the harm caused to his reputation. News Corp, the Journal’s parent company, defended the accuracy of its reporting, while CBC News has not independently verified the Journal’s claims. The U.S. House of Representatives recently made public a letter containing a conversation purportedly between Trump and Epstein, which the White House denied was Trump’s signature.
Epstein passed away in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, having asserted his innocence. Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein, has pleaded not guilty and is appealing her conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump’s lawsuit against the Journal followed a $16 million settlement with CBS News’s parent company over an edited interview with former vice-president Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes.
In a separate legal action, Trump sued the New York Times for articles allegedly intended to undermine his 2024 election prospects. However, a federal judge recently dismissed Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against the Times, citing a lack of clear grounds for his claim and giving him 28 days to submit a revised complaint.