Judge Ends President Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit

Summary

Updated Oct 31, 8:29pm ET

A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s amended defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its owner and other defendants with prejudice. The ruling ended the case in district court. Trump first sued after the Journal described a 2003 birthday album for Jeffrey Epstein that included a sexually suggestive letter and drawing bearing Trump’s name. After an earlier dismissal, Trump amended and refiled the suit. Trump denied writing, signing or drawing the letter and called the story false, while the Journal defended its reporting. Judge Darrin Gayles said Trump had not plausibly alleged actual malice. A Dow Jones spokesperson welcomed the decision. Trump’s legal team plans to appeal.

Left and right

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the ruling as proof that Trump’s revised case still fell short on actual malice, while stressing press protections. CNN highlighted Judge Gayles’s finding that the amended complaint did not fix earlier defects. It also cast the decision as another defeat in Trump’s broader legal fight with the news media.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets led with the demanding public-figure standard and noted that Trump plans to appeal. Just the News framed actual malice as the bar Trump could not clear. Citing Trump’s legal team, Daily Mail said he would appeal; it also quoted US District Judge Darrin Gayles saying the suit tried to “manufacture” flaws in the reporting.

Judge Ends President Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit

Summary

Left and right

From the left

From the right

Both sides, every morning

Articles

Left9

Center12

Right3

Topics

Also today