A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal but granted him the opportunity to amend and refile the case, marking a significant development in his ongoing legal battle with the media outlet.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2025 article reporting on a birthday letter allegedly bearing Trump’s name that appeared in a 2003 album prepared for financier Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter and argued the article damaged his reputation, calling it part of what his legal team described as a coordinated smear campaign.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that Trump’s complaint failed to meet the legal standard required for defamation claims involving public figures, known as the “actual malice” threshold. The judge said the lawsuit did not plausibly show that the newspaper knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
The court noted that The Wall Street Journal had sought Trump’s response before publishing the article and included his denial in its reporting steps that weakened claims of malicious intent.
Importantly, the case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Trump is allowed to submit a revised complaint with additional supporting arguments. His legal team has indicated plans to refile by the court’s deadline later this month.
The ruling highlights the high legal bar public figures must meet to succeed in defamation lawsuits against news organizations. Legal analysts say such cases often hinge on proving intentional wrongdoing rather than simple factual disputes.
The decision also represents the latest chapter in Trump’s broader series of legal disputes with major media outlets over coverage of his past associations and political career.
While the dismissal does not resolve questions surrounding the article itself, it underscores the difficulty of pursuing defamation claims under U.S. constitutional protections for press freedom.
