Trump Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report

Miami, Florida – President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch, over a recent report linking him to a 2003 birthday greeting for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit, filed on Friday in Miami federal court, alleges that the newspaper’s article caused Trump “overwhelming” financial and reputational harm.

The article in question, published by the Wall Street Journal, claimed Trump’s name appeared on a birthday greeting for Epstein that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets. Trump has vehemently denied the report, which we have not independently verified.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones (the Wall Street Journal’s parent company), News Corp and its Chief Executive Robert Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters.

“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 stated on his Truth Social platform. He added, “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case.”

A spokesperson for Dow Jones issued a statement affirming their position: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.

“The lawsuit contends that the alleged birthday greeting is “fake” and that the Journal published the article with the intent to harm Trump’s reputation. It specifically highlights that the article “does not explain whether Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it, have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that would otherwise lend credibility to the Article.

“To succeed in his defamation claim, Trump will need to demonstrate that the defendants acted with “actual malice,” meaning they either knew the article was false or showed reckless disregard for its truth.

ADVERTISEMENT

Legal experts suggest the $10 billion figure is exceptionally high. Jesse Gessin, a lawyer specializing in defamation and First Amendment litigation, commented, “Ten billion dollars is a ridiculously high number. It would be the largest defamation verdict in U.S. history.” This amount far surpasses recent significant defamation judgments, such as the $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Fox News’ $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. His case has fueled numerous conspiracy theories, particularly among some of Trump’s supporters who believe there was a government cover-up concerning Epstein’s connections to powerful individuals. Trump has consistently maintained that he severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s legal troubles became public in 2006.