Trump Files $20 Billion Libel Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report
Trump Files $20 Billion Libel Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report
Former President Donald Trump has initiated a significant libel lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and its reporters, seeking at least $20 billion in damages. The legal action stems from a story concerning a collection of letters allegedly gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, which included a note bearing Trump’s name and a drawing of a nude woman.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Miami, represents a major escalation in Trump’s ongoing legal battles against media organizations. Trump vehemently denies authoring the note and accuses the Journal’s parent company of egregious journalistic failures, highlighting that the publication did not print the alleged drawing or letter in question. He claims, “The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists.”
Trump had threatened legal action immediately following the story’s publication by Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, both named as defendants. He had previously warned Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp, about printing the story, stating Murdoch had promised to address the issue. The former president’s relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, has recently drawn renewed scrutiny.
This lawsuit adds to a series of legal challenges Trump has brought against media and tech companies. While legal experts note the rarity of a former president suing a news outlet for defamation, Trump has recently settled similar cases with ABC and CBS, reportedly receiving $16 million from each for his future presidential library. University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias suggests these actions, including the Journal lawsuit, undermine the First Amendment by potentially making media cautious in their coverage.
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