Trump Sues Wall Street Journal for $10 Billion Over Epstein Letter Report

Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit in a Miami federal court against The Wall Street Journal, its parent companies Dow Jones and News Corp, proprietor Rupert Murdoch, CEO Robert Thomson, and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo. The suit centers on a WSJ report alleging that Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday letter, including a nude drawing, in 2003—which Trump vehemently denies, calling it “fake news”. Trump claims the article inflicted “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” and contends that the defendants acted with actual malice—aware the story was false. A $10 billion demand would be unprecedented in U.S. defamation history, dwarfing prior cases like the Alex Jones $1.5 billion judgment. The Wall Street Journal stands by its reporting and promises to vigorously defend against the claims. The lawsuit coincides with Trump directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts, amidst ongoing public and political pressure for transparency. This legal action marks Trump's first major defamation suit while in office, though he has previously sued media outlets with mixed outcomes. Observers warn that he faces a steep legal challenge due to U.S. protections for freedom of the press.