President Donald Trump has launched a $20 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), accusing the newspaper of publishing “false and malicious” claims that he sent a suggestive birthday message to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Miami, targets not only the Journal but also its parent company, News Corp, and several high-profile figures, including News Corp Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch and CEO Robert Thomson. The suit also names WSJ reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, who authored the article in question.
Trump announced the legal action in a post on his Truth Social platform, calling it a “POWERHOUSE Lawsuit.” He wrote, “This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media.”
The Allegations and the Disputed Letter
At the center of the lawsuit is a WSJ report published Thursday, which claimed the Department of Justice reviewed a 2003 letter from Trump to Epstein as part of its broader investigation into the late financier. According to the article, the letter was part of a compilation of messages prepared by Epstein’s close associate Ghislaine Maxwell for his 50th birthday. Maxwell is currently serving a prison sentence for aiding Epstein in the sexual abuse of minors.
Trump’s legal team argues that no such letter exists, calling the report “a blatant fabrication.” The lawsuit accuses the Journal of “glaring failures in journalistic ethics” and claims the publication’s timing was “maliciously intended” to damage Trump’s reputation.
“Hundreds of millions of people have already viewed the false and defamatory statements,” the complaint reads. “The overwhelming financial and reputational harm suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply.”
The WSJ, through its parent company Dow Jones, has vowed to fight the lawsuit. In a statement, the company said it stands by its reporting: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
Political and Legal Fallout
The lawsuit comes amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s past interactions with Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Although Epstein was once a guest at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the disgraced financier.
Following the WSJ report, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the unsealing of grand jury testimony from Epstein’s criminal case, a process already underway but expected to face significant legal hurdles.
Republican allies have rallied behind Trump, accusing the Journal of political bias. Meanwhile, the Justice Department, which released what it called the “first phase” of Epstein-related documents earlier this year, has stated it found no evidence of a secret “client list” implicating high-profile figures—a point frequently raised by conspiracy theorists.
Trump, for his part, has framed the lawsuit as a fight against what he calls “FAKE NEWS.” “This historic legal action is being brought against the so-called authors of this defamation, the now fully disgraced WSJ,” he wrote, naming Murdoch and Thomson as central figures in what he claims is a smear campaign.
The case could take months—or even years—to play out in court, setting up what could become one of the most high-profile defamation battles in recent memory.
