Judge tosses Trump lawsuit against WSJ, Murdoch over Epstein story

A federal judge on Saturday threw out President Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over the paper's reporting on Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Why it matters: It's the second time this year courts have blocked Trump's efforts to sue the paper over stories about his relationship with the disgraced financier.As with the first one, courts found the president did not clear the high bar set by New York Times vs.

Sullivan for allegations of defamation in critical reporting on public figures.

Driving the news: Judge Darrin Gayles of the southern district of Florida issued the 20-page ruling Saturday afternoon, finding that Trump failed to prove the paper acted with "actual malice" by reporting on his links to Epstein.Gayles dismissed the amended complaint with prejudice, meaning it can't be refiled.Zoom out: Trump first filed suit against the paper and Murdoch in July 2025, seeking $20 billion in damages.At issue was a story describing a "bawdy" letter, bearing Trump's name and given to Epstein for his birthday, which the president insisted was fake.

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