U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), its parent company News Corp., and two of its reporters over a story alleging he penned a sexually explicit birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein.
The suit was filed Friday, July 18, in federal court in Florida, just one day after the WSJ published the controversial article. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Trump alleges the publication falsely reported that he had drawn an image of a naked woman and signed his name “Donald” to mimic pubic hair in a note to Epstein on his 50th birthday.
Trump claims the Journal had access to information proving the story was false, though the lawsuit does not specify what that information is.
“There is no authentic letter or drawing,” the lawsuit states. “The Journal concocted the story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.”
Trump’s legal team said the WSJ first contacted the White House Press Secretary on July 15 to inform them of the impending story. That same day, Trump’s attorney responded, denying the allegations and threatening legal action if the Journal proceeded. Despite the warning, the WSJ published the story on July 17.
The lawsuit demands at least $10 billion in damages and names WSJ parent company News Corp., its CEO Robert Thomson, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and the two reporters responsible for the article.
In the filing, Trump’s attorneys claim the story spread widely on social media and through news outlets, citing the WSJ’s following of over 20 million on X (formerly Twitter), along with numerous reposts by influencers and journalists.
Trump addressed the lawsuit on Truth Social shortly after it was filed, writing, “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.” He also touted previous legal wins against media organizations including ABC, CBS, and “60 Minutes,” referring to anchor George Stephanopoulos as “George Slopadopoulos.”
A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the WSJ’s parent company, responded to TMZ by stating, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
