Federal judge dismisses Donald Trump defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal

A federal judge on Saturday permanently dismissed a 10 billion dollar defamation lawsuit filed by United States President Donald Trump against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. Al Jazeera English and the South China Morning Post both reported that US District Judge Darrin Gayles threw out the case after determining that the president failed to meet the required legal standards. [1][2]

According to Al Jazeera English, Judge Gayles concluded that Donald Trump failed to establish actual malice in the newspaper reporting. Under United States law, a successful defamation complaint requires demonstrating that a defendant published false statements intentionally or with reckless disregard for accuracy. The South China Morning Post reported that the judge stated the president was grasping at straws. [1][2]

The lawsuit stemmed from reporting by The Wall Street Journal concerning Donald Trump and his connections to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Epstein was an American financier and convicted child sex offender whose collection of files included flight logs, contact records, and legal documents involving high-profile public figures. [2][8]