Trump Sues Wall Street Journal, Murdoch Over Epstein Report/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, claiming defamation over a story linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. The article referenced a letter allegedly written by Trump for Epstein’s birthday, which Trump denies authoring. The lawsuit follows DOJ actions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury transcripts amid growing controversy.
Trump Epstein Allegations Lawsuit: Quick Looks
- Trump sues WSJ and Murdoch for $10B over Epstein story
- Claims of false and defamatory reporting about alleged Epstein-linked letter
- Letter allegedly part of a 2003 Epstein birthday album
- Trump denies writing letter, calls it a fake
- Lawsuit accuses Journal of reckless and harmful reporting
- DOJ pushes to unseal Epstein grand jury records
- White House faces backlash for Epstein document secrecy
- Trump frames legal action as a fight against ‘Fake News’
- Dow Jones vows to defend accuracy of WSJ reporting
- Potential delays expected in Epstein case transparency
Deep Look: Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Suit Over WSJ Epstein Report
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has launched a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch, following the publication of an explosive story linking him to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, alleges that the WSJ knowingly published false and damaging claims, particularly focusing on a letter said to bear Trump’s name. The document was reportedly part of a birthday album created for Epstein in 2003, which allegedly contained sexually suggestive content, including imagery of a nude woman and a message signed “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has vehemently denied writing or signing the letter. Calling the report “false, malicious, and defamatory,” the former president claims the media outlet fabricated elements of the story to damage his reputation and character.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that this lawsuit aims not just to clear his name, but to stand up for the broader American public against what he describes as “Fake News Media abuse.” Trump also referenced past legal victories against major outlets like ABC and CBS, which ended in multimillion-dollar settlements.
“This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans,” Trump wrote.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, responded Friday evening, affirming the company’s faith in the integrity of its reporting and confirming that it would “vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
Allegations Center on Unverified Letter
According to the Wall Street Journal, the letter allegedly collected by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was part of a personal gift to Epstein. While the Journal detailed the letter’s contents, it did not publish the letter in full or provide specifics on its provenance.
Trump claims he spoke with both Rupert Murdoch and WSJ editor Emma Tucker before the article’s publication to deny authorship and challenge the letter’s authenticity. “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” Trump stated.
The lawsuit faults the publication for failing to attach evidence of the letter or show proof that Trump authored or signed it. The legal filing claims, “The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists.”
Trump’s legal team argues the story was intentionally concocted to “malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.”
DOJ Seeks to Unseal Epstein Case Files
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked a separate federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation and Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial. This move follows public outrage over the Justice Department’s decision to withhold additional Epstein-related documents, despite prior commitments to full disclosure.
Many Trump supporters have criticized the administration for walking back its transparency pledge, deepening distrust among the base and raising questions about the White House’s motives.
While the Justice Department emphasized that it would redact sensitive victim and personal data from any released transcripts, critics say the delay only fuels conspiracy theories and public skepticism.
“Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,” wrote Blanche.
Still, the DOJ has not announced plans to release other Epstein-related evidence, despite earlier promises from Attorney General Pam Bondi. Her earlier promotion of the February Epstein file release had generated public frustration when those documents failed to deliver substantial new insights.
Legal and Political Implications
The lawsuit could have major implications for press freedom, defamation standards, and Trump’s political momentum heading into another election season. Simultaneously, the Epstein case continues to cast a long shadow over elite political and media institutions, with both transparency and accountability on the line.
A judge must approve the unsealing of any grand jury materials, a process likely to involve significant redaction and delay due to the sensitive nature of the evidence and testimony.
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