Trending Now - Trump's $10B Defamation Case Against Wall Street Journal Thrown Out

WHO:

CNN - President Donald Trump

CNN - U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles

ABC News - Ghislaine Maxwell

Alternet - Rupert Murdoch

ABC News - Dow Jones

WHAT:

CNN - Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that Trump's original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and did not meet the court's standards for claiming defamation for a public figure.

AP News - Trump described the judge's decision as “not a termination” but rather a “suggested re-filing” of his “powerful case,” which he said would be done “on or before April 27th.”

ABC News - The judge's ruling was issued in a 17-page document detailing the reasons for the dismissal.

Alternet - The judge noted that Trump's original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and did not meet the court's standards for claiming defamation for a public figure.

ABC News - The judge concluded that the reporters "attempted to investigate" the letter and did not act recklessly just because Trump denied its authenticity.

AP News - The judge noted that "whether President Trump was the author of the Letter or Epstein’s friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation."

AP News - The ruling marks yet another blow in the Trump administration’s efforts to manage fallout over its release of the Epstein files and the president’s attempts to use the legal system to chill reporting he finds critical of him.

AP News - The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, said the organization was “pleased” with the judge’s decision, adding, “We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.”

CNN - Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that Trump's original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and did not meet the court's standards for claiming defamation for a public figure.

AP News - Trump described the judge's decision as “not a termination” but rather a “suggested re-filing” of his “powerful case,” which he said would be done “on or before April 27th.”

ABC News - The judge's ruling was issued in a 17-page document detailing the reasons for the dismissal.

CNN - Trump’s legal team stated that the lawsuit was an "extraordinary escalation" of his ongoing legal campaign against media companies.

CNN - Legal experts consulted by CNN noted that they could not recall any past instances of a sitting president suing a news outlet over a story.

CNN - Trump filed a lawsuit against The New York Times in September 2025, claiming defamation and unfair questioning of his success, which was dismissed by a judge.

CNN - Trump has also lodged a defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which has stated it will defend itself.

Alternet - The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump submitted a skit of a conversation about "secrets" shared with Epstein, which was included in the birthday book.

Alternet - Economist Teresa Fort commented on the need for penalties for bringing lawsuits that are dismissed, highlighting the costs for defendants.

Alternet - Lawyer Andrew Fleischman noted that the WSJ was denied legal fees because Trump could still amend his complaint and suit.

Alternet - Journalist Bill Grueskin explained that the judge's ruling demonstrates the importance of reporters seeking comments and quoting responses fully.

Alternet - Lawyer Scott Greenfield remarked on the difficulty of proving actual malice over a newspaper printing a real document signed by Trump.

CNN - Trump's legal team stated, "President Trump will follow Judge Gayles’s ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants."

Alternet - Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that "Because President Trump has not plausibly alleged that defendants published the article with actual malice, both Counts must be dismissed."

AP News - Trump described the judge's decision as “not a termination” but rather a “suggested re-filing” of his “powerful case,” which he said would be done “on or before April 27th.”

CNN - Judge Darrin P. Gayles stated that Trump must adequately allege that the Journal knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth to proceed with the lawsuit.

Alternet - The judge noted that Trump's original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and did not meet the court's standards for claiming defamation for a public figure.

ABC News - The judge's ruling was issued in a 17-page document detailing the reasons for the dismissal.

ABC News - Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell told the Justice Department's Todd Blanche last year that Epstein had asked her to coordinate contributions to a book celebrating his 50th birthday.

CNN - Judge Darrin P. Gayles stated that Trump's original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and did not meet the court's standards for claiming defamation for a public figure.

CNN - Trump's legal team claimed the article was a "deliberate smear campaign" designed to damage his reputation and subject him to "public hatred and ridicule."

ABC News - The judge noted that the Wall Street Journal's article included Trump's denial and reflected efforts to seek comment from the White House, the Justice Department, and the FBI.

ABC News - The judge concluded that the reporters "attempted to investigate" the letter and did not act recklessly just because Trump denied its authenticity.

CNN - A federal judge dismissed President Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal.

ABC News - The lawsuit was filed over the Journal's reporting on a letter from Trump included in Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday book.

Alternet - The judge ruled that Trump failed to plausibly allege that the defendants acted with actual malice.

ABC News - The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Trump to refile by April 27, 2026.

ABC News - The judge stated that Trump did not meet the legal standard to prove malice in the reporting.

WHERE:

CNN - The ruling was made in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

WHEN:

CNN - The ruling was issued on Monday, April 10th, 2026.

Alternet - Trump has until April 27th, 2026, to file an amended complaint.

CNN - The lawsuit was filed in July 2025.

CNN - The ruling was issued on Monday, April 10th, 2026.

CNN - Trump has until April 27th, 2026, to file an amended complaint.

WHY:

Alternet - Economist Teresa Fort commented, "There needs to be some penalty for bringing lawsuits that will be dismissed like this. There is a huge cost for defendants to deal with them."

Alternet - Legal experts warned that "stupid defamation lawsuits are a real threat" to free speech, emphasizing the costs incurred by defendants in dealing with such lawsuits.

ABC News - Trump's legal team argued that the article was a "deliberate smear campaign" designed to damage his reputation.

ABC News - The judge concluded that the Journal's reporting process included efforts to seek comment from relevant parties, which undermined claims of malice.

HOW:

AP News - Judge Gayles stated that whether Trump was the author of the letter or Epstein's friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of litigation.

AP News - The judge noted that "whether President Trump was the author of the Letter or Epstein’s friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation."

ABC News - The judge explained that to establish actual malice, a plaintiff must show that the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statement.

Alternet - The judge explained that to establish actual malice, a plaintiff must show that the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statement.

ABC News - The judge noted that to establish actual malice, a plaintiff must show that the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statement.

(UPDATED April 14, 2026 11:17 UTC)

A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's defamation lawsuit, stating that his original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice that did not meet the court's standards for public figures. In response, Trump described the ruling as a "suggested re-filing" of his "powerful case," which he plans to submit on or before April 27th. The judge's 17-page ruling emphasized that the reporters acted responsibly in their investigation and noted that questions about Trump's authorship of the letter in question remain unresolved at this stage of the litigation.

(UPDATED April 14, 2026 05:39 UTC)

A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's defamation lawsuit, ruling that his original complaint relied on "formulaic" claims that did not meet the necessary standards for public figures. In response, Trump characterized the ruling as a “suggested re-filing” of his case, promising to submit a revised complaint by April 27th. Judge Darrin P. Gayles noted that questions surrounding Trump's authorship of a letter and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein remain unresolved at this stage of the litigation.

(UPDATED April 14, 2026 01:21 UTC)

on Friday, a judge ruled on Trump's lawsuit against The New York Times, which he claims involved defamation and unfair questioning of his success, although the case was previously dismissed. Trump's legal team described this lawsuit as an "extraordinary escalation" in his ongoing legal battles with media companies, while legal experts noted that they could not recall any sitting president suing a news outlet over a story. Trump has until April 27th, to file an amended complaint, as the judge indicated that questions about whether Trump authored a letter or was merely Epstein's friend remain unresolved at this stage of litigation.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 23:11 UTC)

Judge Darrin P. Gayles has ruled that President Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and other defendants must be dismissed because he did not plausibly allege that they acted with actual malice. In response, Trump's legal team stated that he will follow the judge's guidance and plans to refile the lawsuit by April 27th, describing the ruling as a “suggested re-filing” rather than a termination of his case. Economist Teresa Fort weighed in on the decision, suggesting that there should be penalties for bringing lawsuits that are dismissed, as they impose significant costs on the defendants involved.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 19:23 UTC)

A federal judge has ruled that Trump must provide sufficient evidence that the Wall Street Journal knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth in order to move forward with his defamation lawsuit. The judge pointed out that Trump's initial complaint relied on "formulaic" claims about malice and failed to meet the necessary legal standards for public figures. In a detailed 17-page ruling, the judge explained that to prove actual malice, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant intentionally avoided investigating the truth of the statements made.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 17:19 UTC)

A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's defamation lawsuit, stating that his claims were "formulaic" and did not meet the necessary standards for public figures. The judge noted that the Wall Street Journal's article included Trump's denial and showed that reporters made efforts to seek comments from relevant government agencies, concluding that they did not act recklessly. Legal experts have raised concerns about the impact of such lawsuits on free speech, highlighting the burdens they place on defendants.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 15:19 UTC)

A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, ruling that he did not meet the legal standard to prove actual malice in the reporting. The lawsuit, which stemmed from the Journal's coverage of a letter from Trump included in Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday book, was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Trump to refile by April 27th. The judge determined that the Journal's efforts to seek comments from relevant parties undermined Trump's claims of a deliberate smear campaign against him.