Judge Deals Setback to Trump’s $10-B Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal

A U.S. federal judge has dealt a significant setback to President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuit stems from a Wall Street Journal report concerning a birthday book allegedly assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. (Photo: John Wisniewski Flickr)

According to a report by Raw America, Trump’s legal team sought to use the discovery process to obtain evidence supporting a claim of “actual malice” — the high legal standard public figures must meet to prevail in defamation cases.

In a May 13 order, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that allowing discovery on actual malice, despite shortcomings in Trump’s initial complaint, would amount to “exactly the type of expensive yet groundless litigation” federal courts seek to avoid.

The lawsuit stems from a Wall Street Journal report concerning a birthday book allegedly assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. One sexually explicit letter in the collection reportedly bore Trump’s signature, which Trump denied, prompting the lawsuit.

Judge Gayles dismissed the case in April but allowed Trump an opportunity to refile with stronger legal arguments.

The latest ruling effectively blocks his legal team from pursuing discovery without first addressing deficiencies in the complaint. The dispute comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and media organizations, including scrutiny over reporting on the Iran conflict.