Federal Judge Dismisses President Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against WSJ and Murdoch Over Epstein Letter
A federal judge in Florida has dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit was based on an article that claimed Trump sent a 'bawdy' birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump did not sufficiently demonstrate that the article was published with actual malice, a requirement for defamation claims by public figures. The judge noted that the defendants had contacted Trump, the Justice Department, and the FBI for comments before publishing the article, which included Trump's denial of writing the letter. Despite dismissing the case, the judge allowed Trump the opportunity to file an amended complaint by April 27, citing legal precedent that permits plaintiffs to amend their complaints if they fail to initially plead facts suggesting actual malice. 
