Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch, over an explosive report claiming that he sent a birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman and a reference to their shared secrets. The President is seeking at least $10 billion in damages and has requested a jury trial.
Media Giants and Journalists Named as Defendants
The lawsuit names The Wall Street Journal’s parent company, News Corp., its publisher Dow Jones, two of the newspaper’s journalists, News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch, and CEO Robert Thomson as defendants.
“We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is, The Wall Street Journal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s Legal Team Warned Journal Before Publication
In an 18-page complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida, Trump’s lawyers stated that one of the two journalists emailed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about the birthday letter two days before the article was published. An attorney for Trump later warned Journal not to publish it, calling the article false and defamatory. According to the lawsuit, neither of the defendants responded to the attorney’s warning.
“The supposed letter is a fake and the Defendants knew it when they chose to deliberately defame President Trump,” the lawsuit says.
Trump Rejects Birthday Letter Claims
Trump had rejected The Wall Street Journal’s report that he wrote Epstein a birthday message — which included a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and his first-name signature — more than two decades ago.
Dow Jones, News Corp., and the two reporters named in the lawsuit didn’t respond to requests for comment as of Friday. Meanwhile, no details about Murdoch’s attorneys appeared in the court records.
Trump and Bondi Respond After Article Goes Live
After the Journal published its article on Thursday, Trump responded on Truth Social, saying he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide “pertinent” testimony related to the Epstein case, pending court approval, citing what he called “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein.”
Responding on X, Bondi said the Justice Department was “ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.” On Friday, the DOJ followed through, filing a motion to release grand jury records related to the Epstein case.
Many Trump supporters have demanded the release of files related to the Epstein case after the Justice Department issued a memo this month. It said a review of the records had not revealed a client list, that there was “no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,” and that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”
The White House said Thursday that Trump had no intention of appointing a special counsel to review the Epstein case.
When Trump Reached A $16 Million Settlement with CBS
Trump, known for frequently threatening legal action against media outlets, has secured several legal wins in recent months.
Last year, Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS over a “60 Minutes” interview with 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, claiming it had been deceptively edited. Earlier this month, CBS’s parent company, Paramount, agreed to settle the case for $16 million.
In a similar case, ABC agreed in December to pay $15 million to resolve a lawsuit in which Trump accused anchor George Stephanopoulos of defamation and making false claims during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).
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