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

U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp, owner Rupert Murdoch, CEO Robert Thomson, and two reporters, alleging a false report about a 2003 birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein caused him significant reputational and financial harm.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami federal court on Friday, claims the Journal published a defamatory article alleging Trump’s name appeared in a leather-bound birthday book for Epstein, a disgraced financier who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019. The report described a letter, signed “Donald,” with a sexually suggestive drawing and a message wishing Epstein “another wonderful secret.” Trump, who has denied the report’s claims, called the letter “fake” and the article “malicious” on his Truth Social platform, labeling the Journal a “useless rag.”

Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent, defended the report’s accuracy, stating, “We have full confidence in the rigor of our reporting and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.” The lawsuit argues the Journal failed to verify the letter’s authenticity, lacking evidence such as a copy or credible description.

To win the defamation case, Trump must prove the defendants acted with “actual malice,” meaning they knew the article was false or showed reckless disregard for its truth. Legal experts note the $10 billion claim exceeds major defamation awards, such as the $1.5 billion judgment against Alex Jones and Fox News’ $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

The Epstein case has fueled controversy, with Trump’s supporters alleging cover-ups of his ties to the elite. A July 2025 Justice Department memo found no evidence of an incriminating client list or blackmail by Epstein. On Thursday, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of Epstein-related grand jury transcripts, with the U.S. government filing a motion on Friday to unseal documents in the cases of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 for her role in Epstein’s crimes.

Trump, who was photographed with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, has said he severed ties before Epstein’s 2006 arrest. In 2019, he told reporters, “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan.”