A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The lawsuit involved a birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein signed by Trump. This is seen as a setback for the president in his legal battles against media outlets he believes have treated him unfairly. Trump has initiated multiple suits against major media organizations during his time in office, alleging unfair or false reporting. Critics, including Democrats and press freedom advocates, have expressed concerns that Trump is using defamation cases to suppress critical coverage.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, accused the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper of damaging Trump’s reputation with an article detailing a birthday card to Epstein supposedly bearing Trump’s signature. Despite the release of the card by lawmakers investigating Epstein’s case, Trump and his legal team have maintained that the card is fake.
Miami-based U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles, appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that Trump failed to meet the “actual malice” standard required for defamation claims involving public figures. This standard demands proof that a statement is not only false but that the media outlet or individual making the statement knew or should have known it was false. Gayles stated that Trump’s complaint fell short of this standard.
Gayles allowed Trump to amend the lawsuit by April 27. Trump has vowed to refile the lawsuit by that deadline. Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, expressed satisfaction with the judge’s decision and reiterated their confidence in the accuracy of their reporting.
The article in question alleged that Trump’s signature appeared on a 2003 birthday card for Epstein, featuring a drawing of a nude woman and a reference to shared secrets in an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein. While Trump insisted the card was fake and criticized the Journal for not publishing it as evidence, a copy was later released by Democrats in Congress from Epstein’s estate.
The Wall Street Journal contended that the lawsuit was baseless and could have a chilling effect on free speech. Trump has initiated legal action against various media outlets, including the BBC and New York Times, over alleged defamation. The New York Times case was dismissed, while the BBC issued an apology to Trump for an editing error but maintained that he lacked legal grounds for a lawsuit. ABC and CBS settled lawsuits with Trump over inaccurate comments and edits, respectively.