Judge dismisses Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against Wall Street Journal

newsNov 1, 2026211,318

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami on Saturday dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over the paper’s reporting on a sexually suggestive birthday letter and drawing said to bear Trump’s name and appear in a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. Gayles ruled the amended complaint failed to plead actual malice, invoked the Supreme Court’s 1964 New York Times Co. v. Sullivan standard, and called the suit “grasping at straws.” The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled in that form, after Gayles had earlier dismissed the initial complaint in April and allowed Trump to file an amended complaint in May. The Wall Street Journal article described text framed by the outline of a hand-drawn naked woman ending, “Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and Trump denied writing it and called the story false. Gayles said the lawsuit attempted to manufacture flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting. The ruling is a setback for Trump amid multiple legal fights with news organizations, including pending disputes involving the BBC, The Associated Press, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

Aaron Parnas

@aaronparnas.bsky.social

NEWS: Trump has a very rough day. His Epstein lawsuit against the WSJ was thrown out, his BBC lawsuit could be next, and Republicans are running from him. Literally. GOP is bracing for a bloodbath. Meanwhile, the Iran war could restart soon, and more. Subscribe to support my work:

56015h ago

democracy4u.bsky.social7

Chris Murphy Why is Donald Trump trying to kneecap Ukraine right now and force them to accept a terrible deal? Because Russia is offering business deals to Trump’s crowd, and Trump knows a corrupt peace deal will be harder to do if Democrats are in charge of Congress.

Tooey6

The GOP may be bracing for a wave 🌊 bloodbath, but we cannot lose sight of the danger Trump and Hegseth may put us in once they lose.

Karma is patient but I am not.2

I think it would be great if the BBC lawsuit ends up being what takes him down.

sekrav18.bsky.social1

Wouldn’t F47 prefer that the BCC lawsuit against him be thrown out? Then he would not have to endure the discovery process, something he didn’t consider when he started his feud with the BBC.

Quoting this

DocGaby88

"Trump hat einen sehr schweren Tag. Seine Klage gegen das „Wall Street Journal“ im Fall Epstein wurde abgewiesen, seine Klage gegen die BBC könnte als Nächstes an der Reihe sein, und die Republikaner nehmen Reißaus vor ihm. Im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes. 1/

M 💓🇺🇸🗽🌊🌈✨🧘‍♀️5

A rough day for trump is a good day for us!

Bill Grueskin

@bgrueskin.bsky.social

"Trump argues that once he declared the Letter a 'fake,' Defendants should have disregarded everything else they learned and not published the story. That is not what the actual malice standard requires and runs afoul of the First Amendment" --Trump loses his suit vs WSJ over the Epstein b'day card

20717h ago

Bill Grueskin63

"It is unclear why President Trump argues the Article shows that his signature 'could not be more different' than the one in the Letter, when it contains several examples where President Trump’s actual signature and sketches are similar to those in the Letter." www.courtlistener.com/docket/70843...

tshandy.bsky.social2

Similar to his genius for business (serial bankruptcies), his legal genius guarantees serial losses in court. Sadly, on the taxpayers' dime.

Tim O’Brien

@timobrien.bsky.social

A federal judge threw out Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over the paper's reporting on Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. www.axios.com/2026/10/31/t...

16117h ago

🖐️ DrAlanT 🎬 📚 📎1

🎃 Peculiar how a convicted felon - yet to be sentenced - has so much faith in LAW AND ORDER!!!

Hassinator1

might this mean some increased curiosity on the epstein files from the fourth estate? or just more gentle fellatio for president trump?

Adam Bonin

@adambonin.bsky.social

Here's Judge Gayles's opinion dismissing Trump's defamation suit against the WSJ on the Epstein birthday letter. TL;DR: Trump had to adequately plead that the WSJ knew or should've known the story was false. To the contrary, the WSJ researched the heck out of it and in fact included Trump's denial.

9216h ago

Lora Kolodny

@lorak.bsky.social

Trump's lawsuit against WSJ over their Epstein letter reporting was dismissed with prejudice... by Mike Wayland & Daniel Mangan @cnbc.com - www.cnbc.com/2026/10/31/t...

7916h ago

rick2

I wish somewhere the anti-SLAPP judgement totals against him were listed as a running tally. I’d love to see these frivolous suits actually cost him.

Scott Smith

@canaansdad1987.bsky.social

He'll be up mad tweeting tonight. Another lawsuit dismissed. Fuck him. #USDemocracy atlas.taboolanews.com/new-summary-...

5414h ago

Darr2471

For sure, faux snooze coverage of him is SO unfair.

Cocky Quirky Canuck1

The next one dismissed will be the one against the BBC.

BlueScotty Will Not Obey

@bluescottyp.bsky.social

Trump's $10 BILLION lawsuit vs. the WSJ over his Epstein birthday letter? DISMISSED with prejudice!!! 👏🏾 The judge: "Grasping at straws." He loses because his claims are built on lies & he has zero regard for our laws! And zero respect for the 1st Amendment! 🤬 theguardian.com #ProudBlue

Text-only "Court Scorecard" meme on a navy background, no people pictured. A red header reads "COURT SCORECARD, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida." Below: "TRUMP vs. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & THE FIRST AMENDMENT — $10 billion defamation suit over the Epstein birthday-letter story." A tilted red rubber stamp reads "DISMISSED," over "WITH PREJUDICE — can't be refiled." Then: "Judge Darrin Gayles, Oct. 31, 2026: 'Grasping at straws' — 'As with his first attempt, he has failed.'" A blue footer reads "No 'actual malice' shown. The press is free."

4116h ago

SlowlyBoiledFrog2

Donald also loses because he uses third-tier lawyers who are willing to pursue his frivolous cases on a contingency fee basis. They, in turn, are risking sanctions imposed by judges.

Kathy Mortensen 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇦🇺🇸 💙1

💙💙💙. There are positive results of with prejudice!

Piyush Mittal

@piyushmittal.bsky.social

Judge dismisses Trump’s lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday book ruling the suit was ‘grasping at straws’ www.bbc.com/news/article...

228h ago

Kim Wexler's Ponytail 🐝💛🎗

@madisonkittay.bsky.social

I love that Trump had an absolutely terrible week. www.cnbc.com/2026/10/31/t...

1814h ago

Lauren Ashley Davis

@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social

BREAKING 🚨 🚨 🚨 A federal judge in Florida on Saturday dismissed President Donald Trump’s amended lawsuit with prejudice against media baron Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. www.cnbc.com/2026/10/31/t...

1517h ago

Paul Barrett ❌👑

@paulthedogman.bsky.social

Trump's latest bogus lawsuit has been dismissed. He claimed the WSJ defamed him by linking him to serial rapist Jeffrey Epstein. The judge called BS on Trump. FFS, he was Epstein's well documented BFF! One day, we'll know the full story of that sick relationship. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/b...

1512h ago

TheValuesVoter

@thevaluesvoter.bsky.social

His own lawsuit, unwise to file in the first place since we’ve now all seen the card and know that the story was in fact true, blowing up three days before the midterms. Reminding everyone that Trump and Epstein, the world’s most famous pedophile, were good friends. www.mediaite.com/media/news/b...

1116h ago

David Combest

@decombest.bsky.social

Trump defamation suit against Murdoch, WSJ over Epstein letter dismissed with prejudice www.cnbc.com/2026/10/31/t...

617h ago

Laurie🇺🇸🦅~ 1,219,487 dead Americans bec of Drumpf

@loccconsulting.bsky.social

Drumpf’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for their coverage of the infamous Epstein Birthday Book was just dismissed w/ prejudice. Because the case was thrown out "with prejudice," it is permanent - meaning it cannot be amended, and cannot be refiled in court. (1/4)

715h ago

Ken Bazinet

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Judge Darrin Gayles threw out the case, finding the suit runs counter to the First Amendment. He had already once dismissed the defamation lawsuit, but this time, the judge threw out the case "with prejudice," meaning the suit cannot be filed again, the BBC noted. #EpsteinCoverUp

48h ago

3 sources

npr.org'Grasping at straws': Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein letter theguardian.comJudge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter bbc.co.ukJudge dismisses Trump's lawsuit against WSJ over Epstein birthday book

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Judge dismisses Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against Wall Street Journal

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