Miami, July 18 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp, and several of its top executives and journalists, accusing the publication of publishing a “false and malicious” report linking him to a sexually suggestive birthday message allegedly sent to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
The complaint, lodged in federal court in Miami on Friday, names News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch, CEO Robert Thomson, Wall Street Journal reporters, and Dow Jones & Company—the publisher of the newspaper—as defendants. The suit claims the article, which Trump has denounced as entirely fabricated, inflicted “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.”
At the center of the controversy is a Journal article alleging Trump’s name appeared in a leather-bound birthday book created for Epstein. The report described a message allegedly bearing Trump’s signature, accompanied by a drawing of a nude woman and a cryptic reference to “wonderful secrets.” Trump’s legal team categorically denied the existence of such a letter and accused the publication of failing to substantiate the claim with credible evidence or documentation.
“The article does not indicate whether the defendants have obtained, seen, or verified the letter in question,” the lawsuit states, arguing the story lacked any factual basis and was published with actual malice—a key legal standard in defamation cases involving public figures.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: “We have just filed a POWERHOUSE lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS article in the useless rag that is The Wall Street Journal.”
Dow Jones responded with a firm defense of its reporting: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our journalism and will vigorously contest the lawsuit.”
Legal experts note the $10 billion figure sought by Trump would represent an unprecedented defamation award. For comparison, the highest-profile defamation cases in recent years include Fox News’ $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, and the $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
“This is an extraordinarily high figure,” said Jesse Gessin, a legal scholar specializing in First Amendment law. “It would be the largest defamation verdict in U.S. history if awarded.”
White House, DOJ Under Scrutiny Amid Epstein Fallout
The lawsuit comes at a time when the Epstein scandal continues to cast a shadow over Washington. The U.S. Department of Justice recently concluded that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and that there was no “incriminating client list” or evidence of blackmail involving powerful figures—conclusions that have angered many of Trump’s supporters, who view Epstein’s death as part of a broader cover-up.
Earlier this week, Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in trafficking underage girls. The Justice Department responded by filing a motion in federal court on Friday requesting the release of redacted documents.
“Public interest in the Epstein matter remains high,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the court filing. “Jeffrey Epstein is the most infamous pedophile in American history.”
Still, legal observers caution that even if the request is granted, the release may fall short of what Trump’s base is demanding, as broader investigative records and classified files held by the government may remain sealed.
Epstein’s Ties to Trump Under Renewed Focus
Trump’s association with Epstein has long drawn scrutiny. The two were photographed together at various social events in the 1990s and early 2000s, and both owned residences in Palm Beach, Florida. In a 2002 New York magazine interview, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
By 2019, however, Trump had distanced himself from the financier, telling reporters that the two had a falling out well before Epstein’s first arrest in 2006.
“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” Trump said. “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his—that I can tell you.”
As the lawsuit moves forward, it promises to reignite debate over the intersection of media freedom, defamation law, and the lingering public fascination with the Epstein case—one that continues to implicate global elites and ignite calls for transparency at the highest levels of government.
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