Politics · India Bureau
US court dismisses Trump's billion-dollar defamation suit against Wall Street Journal
A federal judge in Miami has permanently dismissed President Donald Trump's multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The court ruled that Trump failed to demonstrate the defendants made false statements with actual malice.
LSN India ·
US District Judge Darrin Gayles rejected Trump's case on Saturday, finding the lawsuit lacked legal merit. The dismissal was issued "with prejudice," meaning the suit cannot be refiled and the decision is final and permanent.
The legal action centred on a Wall Street Journal investigation published last year that reported on a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's name. According to the Journal's reporting, the letter was included in a 1990s birthday album compiled for financier Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday celebration and was collected by socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
In his ruling, Judge Gayles stated the lawsuit was "grasping at straws" in attempting to "manufacture" defects in the Journal's investigative journalism. To succeed in a defamation case, the plaintiff must prove the defendant published false statements with actual malice—a legal standard requiring proof of knowing falsity or reckless disregard for truth.
The dismissal represents a significant legal setback for Trump, who has pursued numerous defamation actions against media outlets in recent years. The case underscores the high bar for public figures to challenge news organizations under American defamation law.