‘Grasping at straws’: Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein letter

A US judge dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch on November 1, 2025, over a report that claimed Trump sent a crude birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had sued for the $10 billion after the July 2025 newspaper story revealed the alleged 2003 letter to Epstein, which featured a drawing of a naked woman.

The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corp., headed by Rupert Murdoch. The court's ruling means Trump cannot file an amended version of the lawsuit. Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the case with prejudice, stating that Trump failed to prove the defendants acted with "actual malice" in both instances where he filed the claim. In April, Gayles had previously turned down an initial version of Trump's defamation claim.

The House Oversight Committee had previously published a copy of the alleged birthday note, consisting of a dialogue between "Donald" and "Jeffrey." Trump supporters view the Epstein case as evidence of a "deep state" conspiracy protecting a sex ring involving associates from the Democratic Party and Hollywood. Trump denied any wrongdoing in the matter, and he has not been charged with any criminal offenses.

The controversy has been politically significant, with Democrats spending over $35 million on Epstein-related advertisements ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.