# Judge Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Suit Against Murdoch and WSJ With Prejudice

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/45603
Published: 2026-10-31T20:12:49.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-31T20:12:49.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The case challenged a Wall Street Journal article about a purported 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has denied sending it.

A federal judge in Florida dismissed President Donald Trump’s amended defamation case against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal with prejudice Saturday, barring another amended filing in district court.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles wrote that Trump had not plausibly alleged the defendants published the article with “actual malice,” a standard public figures must meet in defamation cases. Trump may seek appellate review, but the ruling blocks another amended complaint in district court. Gayles summarized the amended case in the ruling: “As with his first attempt, he has failed.”

The $10 billion suit centered on a Wall Street Journal article about a purported 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has denied sending it. The amended complaint also alleged Murdoch told Trump, “I will handle it,” during a phone call about an article describing the letter.

Gayles first dismissed the original $10 billion complaint roughly six months earlier.