Palm Beach, Florida — US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the publishers of The Wall Street Journal, accusing the newspaper of spreading what he calls a “malicious fabrication” that he authored and illustrated a lewd birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Filed in a Florida court on Thursday, the lawsuit targets Dow Jones & Company, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and several Journal executives and reporters. At the heart of the complaint is a July 2025 article that claimed Trump penned a 2003 letter for Epstein’s 50th birthday featuring sexually suggestive language and a hand-drawn image of a naked woman. The letter was said to be part of a personal collection curated by Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, both of whom were deeply entangled in decades of scandal, abuse, and elite connections.
Trump vehemently denies having authored any such letter or drawing, calling the article “completely fake, defamatory, and politically motivated.” The president claims the document is a forgery planted in Epstein’s collection for the sole purpose of smearing him during the 2024 campaign cycle and its turbulent aftermath. Trump has framed the lawsuit not merely as personal vindication, but as a battle against what he brands as a corrupt media-industrial complex weaponized against him and his movement.
The lawsuit further accuses WSJ reporters Joseph Palazzolo and Khadeeja Safdar of deliberately publishing falsehoods with reckless disregard for the truth. According to CBS News, the suit alleges that the Journal failed to adequately verify the authenticity of the letter and ignored statements denying Trump’s involvement. Dow Jones has dismissed the allegations, stating it stands firmly behind the integrity of its journalism and will “vigorously defend against this meritless suit.”
Legal analysts note the uphill battle Trump faces, given the high bar for defamation suits involving public figures. Under US law, he must prove that the Journal acted with “actual malice”—a standard that requires showing the reporters either knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
The letter in question reportedly includes sexually explicit text, typed in large font, and a crude sketch resembling a nude woman with Trump’s name signed at the bottom. Though WSJ said the letter was among many documents collected from Epstein’s residence and authenticated by multiple sources, Trump claims it is a complete fabrication and part of a targeted smear campaign.
Trump’s lawsuit also attempts to shift the spotlight toward the broader Epstein scandal. He is now publicly pressuring Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury files tied to Epstein’s extensive network of elite associates. The move appears calculated to distract from the accusations while reigniting fury within his political base over longstanding suspicions that Epstein’s ties to global elites have been protected by the justice system.
