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Defamation · Dow Jones · Lawsuit · Media
A federal judge in Miami, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles, dismissed President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, ruling Trump failed to plausibly allege the article about a Jeffrey Epstein letter was published with actual malice.
The lawsuit stemmed from an article concerning a letter to financier Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump's name, which Trump alleged was defamatory. Judge Gayles, an appointee of President Barack Obama, explicitly stated that Trump had not made a valid legal claim because he did not plausibly allege that the defendants published the article with "actual malice." This decision provides a significant legal victory for Dow Jones, reinforcing the high legal bar for defamation claims against media organizations, particularly when involving public figures.
President Trump has been granted until April 27 to file a new amended lawsuit, indicating the legal proceedings may continue.
