- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 19 Jul 2025 08:28 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
US President Donald Trump has filed a huge defamation suit worth at least USD 10 billion in damages against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and its parent company for a report connecting him with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In an 18-page complaint filed in a Miami federal court on Friday Trump listed media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones & Company, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and WSJ reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo as defendants. The suit is based on a WSJ story published recently that reported Trump's signature in a leather-bound birthday book that was presented to Epstein when he turned 50 years old in 2003. The story claimed the note contained typewritten words and a naked woman drawing, signed by Trump.
Trump Denies Writing Note, Calls Report "Fake News"
Calling the allegations “false, malicious, and defamatory,” Trump’s legal team argued that no such letter or drawing exists. In his trademark style, Trump announced the lawsuit on Truth Social, writing, “BREAKING NEWS: We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is, The Wall Street Journal.” He further stated that the case is not simply about him but seeks to safeguard "ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media."
Responding to Trump's suit, a Dow Jones representative stated, "We have complete confidence in the thoroughness and validity of our reporting and will aggressively defend any suit." The WSJ report did not release the purported letter or sketch but reported that its journalists had examined the birthday album containing signatures of many prominent people.
Epstein Case Continues to Cast Shadow
Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender, is still a contentious figure. Trump has consistently dismissed any link to Epstein's criminality, insisting he severed his association with Epstein long before the financier's legal woes became public in 2006. Interestingly enough, Trump was seen with Epstein in public places in the early 2000s and 1990s. During a 2002 interview, Trump referred to Epstein as "a terrific guy," but then claimed he fell out with him and hadn't spoken to him in years before Epstein's initial arrest.
The lawsuit seeks a minimum of USD 10 billion in damages, more than triple the biggest defamation awards in US history, including Fox News' USD 787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems and the USD 1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Trump's lawyers need to prove that the WSJ acted in "actual malice," that is, the reporters knew the information was false or engaged in reckless disregard of the truth. The court fight comes against the backdrop of renewed public fascination with Epstein's circle. Last week, the US Justice Department concluded there was no proof to back conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death or a purported client list. Trump has insisted on the release of grand jury evidence concerning Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 of her part in Epstein's sex trafficking ring.
ALSO READ: Facing Heat Over Epstein Links, Trump Orders Bondi To Release ‘Pertinent’ Records
Murdoch-Trump Relationship Back In Focus
The case also rekindles tensions between Trump and Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Though Murdoch's properties, such as Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, were previously regarded as friendly towards Trump, their relationship has turned sour at times, particularly following reporting that the former president views as negative.As the bat
