Trump refiles $10bn defamation suit against WSJ over Epstein ties amid media lawsuits
Consensus Summary
Donald Trump has refiled a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including a disputed birthday card signed with his name. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, names Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and two Journal reporters as defendants. Trump claims Murdoch assured him the story would not be published, and the lawsuit alleges the Journal recklessly disregarded the truth. A judge previously dismissed an earlier version of the lawsuit for failing to meet the 'actual malice' standard required for public figures. This is part of a broader pattern of Trump suing multiple media organizations, including the New York Times and BBC, which have denied wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal has defended its reporting, stating it has full confidence in its accuracy. While both sources agree on the core facts of the lawsuit and Epstein’s death in 2019, discrepancies exist in the specifics of Trump’s claims and the judge’s reasoning for dismissing the initial lawsuit.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Donald Trump refiled a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, after a judge threw out an earlier version for legal deficiencies.
- The lawsuit claims the Wall Street Journal tarnished Trump’s reputation with an article describing a birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein as bearing Trump’s signature, which Trump and his lawyers say is fake.
- The Wall Street Journal first reported on a sexually suggestive birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein, allegedly signed by Trump, which he denies sending.
- Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019, ruled a suicide by the city’s chief medical examiner.
- Trump has launched multiple defamation lawsuits against media organizations, including the New York Times, BBC, and Des Moines Register.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Trump administration opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over alleged perjury in her civil lawsuits against Trump, with prosecutors, the New York Times, and CNN reporting on the probe.
- Jill Biden said in a CBS News interview she was 'frightened' watching Joe Biden freeze up during the 2024 debate against Trump, fearing he was having a stroke.
- Two House Democrats (Don Beyer and Dina Titus) plan to introduce a bill explicitly prohibiting construction of Trump’s proposed 'triumphal arch' outside Arlington National Cemetery.
- A rightwing activist, Cam Higby, disguised as a pro-Palestinian activist, disrupted a news conference with Democratic congressmen Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman in Newark, New Jersey.
- A judge declined to block Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules, which Democrats argue could disenfranchise millions of voters.
- Trump threatened to 'blow up' Oman if it fails to 'behave' regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz, amid talks between Iran and Oman about tolls for ships passing through.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a 100% tax on payouts from Trump’s $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization fund,' calling it a 'boondoggle' for Trump allies, including potential Capitol rioters.
- Guatemala agreed to conduct joint strikes with the U.S. against drug traffickers, marking an escalation of Trump’s crackdown on Latin American cartels.
- The lawsuit alleges Rupert Murdoch told Trump he would 'handle' the Epstein story, implying the article would not be published. Trump called Murdoch on July 15, 2023, after Journal reporters contacted the White House about the story.
- Dow Jones (WSJ’s parent company) and News Corp have stated they have full confidence in the Journal’s reporting and will defend themselves in court.
- U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles (appointed by Barack Obama) dismissed Trump’s first lawsuit in April, ruling he failed to meet the 'actual malice' standard for public figures in defamation cases.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Trump is seeking at least $10 billion in damages, while ABC initially mentions $14 billion (later corrected to $10 billion in the same article).
- The Guardian reports Trump’s lawsuit was thrown out 'over legal deficiencies,' while ABC specifies Judge Gayles ruled Trump failed to meet the 'actual malice' standard.
- The Guardian includes a direct quote from Trump’s lawyers: 'Defendants recklessly disregarded whether the Defamatory Statements were true,' which is not repeated in ABC’s article.
Source Articles
Trump refiles $10bn defamation suit against WSJ over report on Epstein ties – US politics live
The lawsuit is one of several that the president has brought in his personal capacity against news organizations A judge on Thursday declined to block president Donald Trump’s executive tightening rules on mail-in voting in a loss for the Democratic party, whose lawyers argued that it could disenfranchise millions of voters. The decision comes as Trump’s Republicans are locked in a tight battle to keep control of both houses of the US Congress in the November midterm elections. Continue reading.
Trump says Murdoch indicated he would 'handle' newspaper's Epstein story
In refiling his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, the US president alleges Rupert Murdoch indicated a story about his ties with Jeffrey Epstein would not be published.