A federal judge has permanently dismissed United States President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. US District Judge Darrin Gayles concluded on Saturday that Trump had failed to establish the standard of “actual malice” required for defamation suits.

Under US law, a successful defamation complaint must demonstrate that the defendant released a defamatory statement knowing it was false or with “reckless disregard” for its accuracy. Gayles stated that Trump was “grasping at straws” with his $10 billion case.

The judge wrote that the "Amended Complaint falls short of pleading actual malice," adding that the allegations regarding malice were "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." The judge also suggested Trump's legal team had attempted "to manufacture flaws with the investigation" published by the newspaper.

The lawsuit stemmed from coverage linking Trump to the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On July 17, 2025, The Wall Street Journal published an article detailing a sexually suggestive birthday note gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, as part of a book of congratulatory letters reportedly collected by Ghislaine Maxwell.

The note, attributed to Trump, featured typed text framed by a hand-drawn outline of a curvaceous woman, with Trump’s signature at the bottom near the pelvic region. Trump has vehemently denied responsibility for the text, signature, and artwork. A copy of the birthday letter was later released through the House Oversight Committee.

The Wall Street Journal’s article was published during a period of intense scrutiny for Trump's administration regarding whether it had withheld documents about Epstein’s alleged sex crimes, despite promises of transparency. Critics also raised questions about the nature of the relationship between Trump and Epstein, as the two men appeared to have socialized together.

Epstein was known to have connections with numerous prominent figures, and his illicit activities became a subject of widespread public interest and investigation. The lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal represented a significant legal challenge by Trump against media reporting that he deemed inaccurate and damaging.

The permanent dismissal of the lawsuit means The Wall Street Journal will not face damages or be compelled to retract its reporting related to the Epstein-linked story. The decision underscores the high legal bar for public figures seeking to prove defamation against news organizations.