Trump Appeals Dismissal of $10 Billion Libel Case Against WSJ
President Trump is appealing a twice-dismissed defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over an article linking him to Jeffrey Epstein.
President Donald Trump has filed an appeal challenging a court's repeated dismissal of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, escalating a legal battle that has drawn scrutiny over press freedom and presidential litigation.
A judge dismissed the complaint on two separate occasions, ruling against Trump's claims that the Journal defamed him through an article connected to a birthday greeting purportedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019.
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The lawsuit represents one of the largest defamation claims ever brought against a major American news organization. Legal analysts note that public figures face a high bar under U.S. defamation law, which requires plaintiffs to demonstrate that a publisher acted with "actual malice" — meaning the outlet either knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for its accuracy.
By appealing the dismissal, Trump's legal team is pressing forward despite two adverse rulings from the same court, a move that prolongs the litigation and keeps pressure on the Journal's parent company, News Corp. The case is being watched closely by First Amendment advocates concerned about the broader implications of high-dollar defamation suits filed by powerful figures against news outlets.
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