Florida Federal Court Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal

Kathmandu. A federal court in Florida has dismissed the $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal.

Trump had filed the lawsuit last year, accusing the news organization and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, of damaging his reputation. The legal battle stemmed primarily from reports claiming a connection between Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The core of the dispute was a report published on July 17, which alleged that Trump's name and a drawing of a woman's body he had sketched were included in Epstein's 2003 birthday book.

Trump dismissed the claims as entirely false and "fake news," asserting that they caused serious harm to his reputation. However, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles stated in his ruling that Trump's claims failed to meet the legal standard of actual malice.

Under U.S. law, for a public figure to win a defamation case, they must prove that the news organization knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Judge Gayles noted that Trump failed to provide concrete evidence that the Wall Street Journal published the material with malicious intent.

However, the court dismissed the case "without prejudice," leaving the door open for Trump to amend and refile his complaint. He has been given a deadline of April 27.

Trump's lawyers have stated they do not consider this a final defeat and intend to file a more robust lawsuit. They claim they are committed to holding media outlets accountable for misleading the American public.

On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal has defended its reporting from the start. The details of the birthday message mentioned in the news appeared to match a photo later released by Democratic lawmakers, which Trump continues to reject as fake.