Judge Rules Trump Failed to Meet Actual Malice Standard in Defamation Case

A federal judge in Florida dismissed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against media executive Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal on April 13, 2026. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in the U.S. District Court in Miami, centered on the legal standards required for public figures to prevail in defamation claims.

The lawsuit stemmed from a Wall Street Journal article published on July 17, 2025. The report claimed that President Trump had sent a bawdy 50th birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. According to the reporting, the letter appeared in a birthday book compiled by Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, which contained messages from Epstein’s family and friends.

The Actual Malice Standard

Judge Gayles dismissed the civil complaint because the plaintiff failed to meet the actual malice standard. Under U.S. Legal precedent, public figures must demonstrate that a defendant published defamatory statements with actual malice to successfully sue for defamation.

In his ruling, Judge Gayles stated that Trump had not plausibly alleged that the Defendants published the Article with actual malice. The judge further noted that the complaint falls short of pleading actual malice and that the president comes nowhere close to the required standard to prove that the newspaper deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statements.

The court highlighted that the Wall Street Journal had attempted to verify the information before publication. Judge Gayles wrote that the article explains the defendants contacted President Trump, the FBI, and Justice Department officials for comment prior to running the story.

Case Details and Defendants

The lawsuit sought $10 billion in damages. While the primary targets were Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, the legal action also named Dow Jones & Co., News Corp, and individual reporters as defendants.

During the proceedings, attorneys representing Murdoch and the newspaper requested that Judge Gayles rule the statements in the article were true, which would render them non-defamatory. However, the judge declined to make a factual determination on the truth of the statements at this stage of the litigation.

Current Status and Next Steps

The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning the court’s decision is not final and the plaintiff may be permitted to bring the case back. Judge Gayles has granted President Trump the opportunity to file an amended lawsuit to address the court’s concerns regarding the pleading of actual malice.

The deadline for the legal team to file the amended complaint is April 27, 2026. Following the ruling, representatives for President Trump stated that the president will follow Judge Gayles’s ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants.