Federal Judge Dismisses With Prejudice Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Birthday Card Report
What happened
On October 31, 2026, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed with prejudice Donald Trump’s amended $10 billion defamation lawsuit against *The Wall Street Journal* over a report detailing a 2003 Jeffrey Epstein birthday card.
The Context
- The legal bar remained unmet: The Southern District of Florida court ruled that the complaint failed to plausibly allege "actual malice," the constitutional standard established under *New York Times v. Sullivan* required for public figures.
- Reporting protocols withstood scrutiny: Judge Gayles highlighted that the *Journal* conducted an active investigation, published Trump’s denials, and referenced the physical card later released by Epstein’s estate to substantiate the piece.
- The legal road has ended: Because the case was dismissed with prejudice following a prior dismissal in April 2026, the plaintiff is barred from amending or refiling the action in this court.
The Number
— The final damages amount sought in the amended complaint (down from an initial $20 billion claim), illustrating the scale of legal risk media institutions manage when reporting on prominent global figures.
Takeaway
With this suit definitively closed, expect legal protections for newsrooms investigating high-profile public entities to hold firm against similar corporate and personal defamation claims.
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