# Judge Dismisses Trump's $10B Epstein Lawsuit Against WSJ

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/judge-dismisses-trumps-10b-epstein-lawsuit-against-wsj
- Published: 2026-11-01T20:07:12.709960+00:00
- Topics: defamation-lawsuit, trump, wall-street-journal, epstein, press-freedom

## What the left says
- The dismissal with prejudice for the second time underscores that Trump's legal claims lacked merit from the start, reinforcing that the New York Times v. Sullivan actual malice standard exists precisely to protect robust reporting on public officials.
- The ruling validates the Journal's original reporting on the Epstein birthday letter, suggesting the lawsuit functioned more as an attempt to intimidate and financially burden a news outlet than a genuine legal grievance.
- This case fits a broader pattern of the administration pursuing adversarial legal action against multiple news organizations, including the BBC, AP, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, raising concerns about press freedom under sustained pressure.
- The judge's pointed language, describing the president as 'grasping at straws' and attempting to 'manufacture' flaws in legitimate journalism, signals how weak the underlying legal arguments were.

## What the right says
- Trump and his legal team maintain the Journal's reporting on the alleged birthday letter was false and damaging, and they view the lawsuit as a legitimate effort to hold a major media organization accountable for what they consider inaccurate claims.
- The president has consistently and personally denied writing the letter, calling it a fake, and believes he has a right to challenge reporting he sees as defamatory to his reputation.
- His legal team has signaled they intend to appeal, framing this dismissal as one stage in an ongoing fight rather than a final resolution of the underlying dispute.
- Supporters see this as part of a necessary broader pushback against media outlets perceived as biased or unfair toward the president, even if individual legal victories are hard to secure under current defamation law.

## Common ground
- Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice on Saturday, meaning it cannot be refiled.
- The case centered on a Wall Street Journal article describing a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's name connected to Jeffrey Epstein's 2003 birthday album.
- Trump has publicly and consistently denied writing or being associated with the letter in question.
- This marks the second time a court has ruled Trump failed to meet the actual malice standard required for public figures in defamation cases against this same reporting.

## Sources
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/31/trump-epstein-wsj-murdoch) (Lean Left)
- [Daily Caller](https://dailycaller.com/2026/11/01/trump-wsj-epstein-defamation-suit-dismissed-prejudice) (Right)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-suit-against-wall-street-journal-over-epstein-birthday-letter) (Lean Left)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6186579-trump-journal-lawsuit-dismissed/) (Center)

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