US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch, seeking at least $10 billion in damages over the publication of a report on Trump’s friendship with notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accuses the defendants of acting with malicious intent, causing Trump “overwhelming financial and reputational harm”.
Trump denies writing the letter in question, which was reportedly part of a birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate. The letter allegedly included a sexually suggestive drawing and referenced secrets shared between Trump and Epstein. “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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The Wall Street Journal stands by its reporting, with a spokesperson stating, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.” Dow Jones, the parent company of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp, which is also named in the lawsuit.
This lawsuit is part of a broader controversy surrounding Epstein’s case, with Trump’s administration reversing course on its promise to release court documents related to Epstein’s alleged elite clientele. Trump instructed US Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the prosecution against Epstein, citing “extensive public interest”.
The case has sparked intense debate, with some of Trump’s supporters questioning why he wouldn’t want the documents made public. “Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a filing. “After all, Jeffrey Epstein is the most infamous pedophile in American history.”
The outcome of this lawsuit remains uncertain, with some experts doubting Trump’s chances of success. “Ten billion dollars is a ridiculously high number,” said Jesse Gessin, a lawyer with experience in defamation and First Amendment litigation. “It would be the largest defamation verdict in U.S. history”.