# Judge Dismisses Trump Defamation Lawsuit Against Murdoch and Wall Street Journal Federal court rejects claims regarding Epstein birthday letter reporting with prejudice. - **Source:** [US Top News and Analysis](https://brifing.si/source/635540e9-943e-450d-ae52-ae0bfe3b67eb) - **Published:** 2026-10-31 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/76dfca16-f243-4e10-9d8e-78aa07206645 ## Court Rejects Defamation Claims U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal with prejudice. The ruling concludes that Trump failed to plausibly allege actual malice regarding the newspaper's July 2025 reporting. This decision prevents the former president from filing another amended version of the case. ## The Disputed Epstein Letter The litigation centered on a purported 2003 birthday letter allegedly sent by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. The Journal reported the letter featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and a signature mimicking pubic hair. Trump has consistently denied authoring the document, labeling the entire report as fake news and smears. ## Actual Malice Standard Applied Judge Gayles emphasized that public figures must demonstrate actual malice to succeed in defamation claims. The court found the Journal conducted a thoughtful investigation, rejecting arguments that the publication should have been blocked simply because Trump denied the letter's authenticity. Such a standard would threaten First Amendment protections for the press. ## Criticism of Amended Complaint In his 20-page ruling, Judge Gayles described the amended complaint as grasping at straws. He noted that the legal team attempted to manufacture flaws in the newspaper's investigative process. The court rejected every argument presented, including claims that the publication omitted relevant details or failed to adequately verify the letter's origin. ## Legal Team Plans Appeal Despite the dismissal with prejudice, a spokesperson for Trump's legal team confirmed plans to appeal the ruling. The statement reiterated the president's intent to hold media organizations accountable for what they describe as misleading reporting. The legal battle against the defendants remains a priority for the president's representatives moving forward. ## Context of the Investigation The Journal's report detailed that the letter was part of an album given to Epstein for his 50th birthday. Reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo stated the letter was sent at the request of Ghislaine Maxwell. The document contained the message, Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret. ## Broader Media Litigation Trends This ruling represents a significant setback in Trump's ongoing legal conflicts with media entities. Beyond this case, a federal judge recently ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 regarding a separate $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. These cases highlight the intense legal scrutiny surrounding media reporting. ## Significance of the Ruling The dismissal reinforces the high bar for public figures seeking to litigate against news organizations. By ruling with prejudice, the court effectively ended this specific avenue for legal challenge in the district court. The case underscores the tension between high-profile figures and investigative journalism regarding the verification of controversial historical documents. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/31/trump-murdoch-wsj-epstein-defamation-lawsuit-dismissed.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._