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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. Gayles tossed the initial suit last April, but allowed Trump to file an amended complaint — which was the one he dismissed Saturday, saying it fell short of the burden to prove the paper acted maliciously. What they're saying: "Indeed, the allegations regarding malice are conclusory, vague, sometimes inconsistent with the Article, and often irrelevant to whether Defendants knew or should have known that the statements in the Article were purportedly false," Gayles wrote. For the record: "President Trump will continue to press forward in his powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants. The President will continue to hold those who mislead the American People with Fake News and smears accountable for their actions," a spokesman for his legal team said in a statement. Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details. Sara Fischer contributed.
document fetched 2026-11-01 02:57 · canonical https://axios.com/2026/10/31/trump-epstein-wsj-murdoch