The Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, have formally asked a US judge to dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The suit alleges defamation over a Journal article which claimed Trump’s name appeared on a 2003 birthday greeting for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The legal challenge has reignited debate over press freedom and the use of defamation cases by public figures in the United States.
In a court filing, lawyers for the Wall Street Journal and Murdoch described Trump’s legal action as an attempt to intimidate the press. They argued, “This meritless lawsuit threatens to chill the speech of those who dare to publish content that the President does not like,” lawyers for the Journal and its billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch wrote in a court filing.
BACKGROUND TO TRUMP’S DEFAMATION CLAIM
Trump initiated the lawsuit on 18 July, following an article published on 17 July detailing his purported involvement in a 2003 birthday greeting addressed to Epstein. The lawsuit coincided with criticism of the Trump administration from both conservative supporters and Democrats over the handling of the Epstein investigation. The Justice Department had recently declined to release files related to the case.
DETAILS OF ALLEGED GREETING AND RELEASED EVIDENCE
Central to Trump’s defamation claim is the authenticity of the birthday greeting in question. In his lawsuit, Trump called the alleged birthday greeting “fake” and sought $10 billion in damages for what he called damage to his reputation. News Corp’s Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent company, has strongly defended the article’s accuracy.
Democrats in the US House of Representatives made public a letter on 8 September that appeared to depict a conversation between Trump and Epstein, involving a sketch of a woman’s silhouette. The White House said that the signature on the letter was not Trump’s. The House said it had received the letter, part of a collection of greetings for Epstein’s 50th birthday compiled by his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, from lawyers for Epstein’s estate.
The Journal’s lawyers contended that the letter released by Congress is indistinguishable from the one described in their reporting. In asking Miami-based US District Judge Darrin Gayles to dismiss the case, the Journal’s lawyers said the letter released by Congress was “identical” to the one described in the article. Defending their report, the lawyers asserted, “The Article is true.”
CONTEXT OF TRUMP’S BROADER LEGAL STRATEGY
Trump’s lawsuit against the Journal is part of a wider series of actions targeting leading media organisations. He has previously settled with CBS News’ parent company Paramount Global and has brought suits against other outlets, including the New York Times. Earlier this month, Trump sued the New York Times NYT.N over articles he said were aimed at sabotaging his chances in the 2024 election.
LEGAL STANDARDS AND PRESS FREEDOM CONCERNS
The case underscores the high legal threshold for public figures in defamation suits, which requires proof of “actual malice.” This means showing the statement was false and that the publisher knew or should have known it was false. The growing number of lawsuits by Trump has drawn attention from press freedom advocates, who argue such actions could suppress critical news coverage.
As the matter proceeds, the court must determine whether the Journal’s reporting met the necessary legal and journalistic standards. A White House spokesperson declined to comment, referring queries to Trump’s personal lawyers, who have not issued a response at this stage.
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With inputs from Reuters