Trump’s Dismissed Epstein Letter Lawsuit Is the Latest Example of His Failure To State Cognizable Claims

A US federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal with prejudice, ending the case after Trump was given a chance to amend his complaint. The dispute followed a 2025 report about a letter bearing Trump’s name in a birthday album for Jeffrey Epstein; Trump alleged the letter was fake and sought at least $10 billion in damages.

Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump’s complaints did not adequately allege “actual malice”, the standard public figures must meet by showing a publisher knew a claim was false or recklessly disregarded its truth. The article says Trump’s lawyers relied on conclusory claims that the defendants “knew or should have known” the report was false, and argues that allowing discovery before a sufficiently pleaded claim could burden reporting and chill speech. The dismissal with prejudice means the case cannot be refiled in that court.