Judge throws out Trump’s $10 billion suit against the Wall Street Journal for good; Trump will appeal
The judge found, for the second time, no plausible claim that the paper acted with “actual malice” in reporting on a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami on Saturday dismissed with prejudice President Trump’s amended defamation suit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over its July 2025 report on a 50th birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s signature. Dismissal with prejudice bars Trump from refiling the same claims in federal court. The judge did not decide whether Trump wrote the letter, which he denies.
Judge Gayles ruled in a 20-page decision that Trump again failed to plausibly allege actual malice.
Reported · Ruling, as quoted by CNBCThe judge called the Journal’s work a “thoughtful and detailed investigation.”
Reported · Ruling, as quoted by CNBCTrump’s legal team says the president will appeal.
Reported · Spokesman statement to CNBC
Confirmed = primary document · Reported = news reports or quoted statements · Suspected = one analyst or unnamed insiders · Disputed = reported and denied
The number is not the whole story.
Under New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), a public official suing for defamation must show the publisher knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for whether it was true.
This is the second dismissal of the same case. The first, in April, allowed Trump to fix the complaint; this one, with prejudice, ends the case in this court unless an appeal succeeds.
The ruling turns on how much a newspaper must do once a subject denies a story. The judge held that a denial alone does not require a paper to hold back reporting.
Verified baseline: New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 ↗
What came before?
The Journal published its report on July 17, 2025, saying a letter bearing Trump’s signature was included in an album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Judge Gayles dismissed Trump’s first complaint in April 2026 but allowed him to file an amended version.
What is reported?
The amended complaint added new claims, including that Murdoch told Trump “I will handle it.” The judge rejected each argument and dismissed the case permanently. Dow Jones said it was pleased with the decision.
What remains open?
An appeal would go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Separately, another Miami judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC.
Check for an appeal filing and the Dec. 11 BBC deposition.
DOCUMENTED BACKGROUND / EARLIER RECORD · SOURCE LINKS3 dated sources · expand ↓
- The Wall Street Journal reported on a birthday letter to Epstein bearing Trump’s signature; Trump denied writing it. CNBC ↗
- Judge Gayles dismissed Trump’s first complaint for failing to allege actual malice, allowing an amended filing. CNBC ↗
- The judge dismissed the amended complaint with prejudice; Trump’s team said it would appeal. CNBC ↗
These dated sources establish the background. They do not prove that a particular earlier decision caused the latest development.
What we'll check next: Check for an appeal filing and the Dec. 11 BBC deposition.
Why it matters
Public figures must show “actual malice” to win a defamation case. The judge wrote that accepting Trump’s argument that a denial should stop publication would let public figures block unfavorable reporting, which “runs afoul of the First Amendment.”
What remains unresolved
Will an appeals court revive the claim, and will Trump’s Dec. 11 deposition in his separate suit against the BBC go ahead?
Sources are labeled by tier: Primary (documents and official data), Reporting (news organizations), Analysis (research and commentary). Attribution belongs to each named publisher.
Primary Library of Congress — New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) ↗Reporting CNBC — Trump suit against WSJ dismissed with prejudice ↗Reporting PBS News — Judge dismisses Trump suit ↗