Donald Trump launched a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch, and other executives, accusing the outlet of falsely tying him to Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous 50th birthday book. The lawsuit claims the paper damaged Trump’s reputation by publishing a story that suggested he personally signed a crude and lewd birthday greeting in Epstein’s book back in 2003—something Trump flatly denies. Trump and his legal team argue that the WSJ deliberately pushed a false narrative for political and reputational harm, framing the report as part of a broader media effort to tarnish his image during his third run for the presidency.

In response, the WSJ filed a motion to dismiss the case outright, contending that their reporting was factually accurate and legally protected. The paper argues that the letter referenced in their article matches the document released by Congress, making their reporting “substantially true.” They also stress that even if Trump did sign a bawdy note, such conduct would not be considered legally defamatory given his public persona and long history of controversial remarks. The Journal is asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, which would block Trump from re-filing it, and to order him to cover their legal fees. The court has already paused discovery proceedings—including Rupert Murdoch’s scheduled deposition—until the judge rules on the dismissal, underscoring the high-stakes battle over press freedom, defamation law, and Trump’s escalating war against media outlets.


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WSJ moves to dismiss Trump's $10B lawsuit over alleged letter in Epstein birthday book - ABC News