Former US President Donald Trump refiled a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages against the Wall Street Journal on May 27 or 28, 2026, in Miami federal court [1, 2, 3, 4]. The suit targets the Journal’s article linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, based on a birthday card bearing Trump's alleged signature, which Trump and his lawyers say is fake [1, 2, 3, 5, 4].
The amended complaint names Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones and its parent company News Corp, along with CEO Robert Thomson and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo, as defendants [1, 2, 3, 4]. Trump alleges the defendants "recklessly disregarded whether the defamatory statements were true and/or they purposefully avoided the discovery of the truth," causing him significant financial and reputational harm [1, 2, 4].
A previous defamation complaint filed by Trump was dismissed by US District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in April 2026. Gayles ruled Trump failed to meet the "actual malice" standard required for public figures in defamation cases [1, 2, 3, 4]. Gayles is an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019. His case generated various conspiracy theories among Trump supporters about alleged cover-ups involving powerful figures [1, 2, 3, 4]. Trump has stated he cut ties with Epstein before Epstein's legal troubles became public in 2006 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Dow Jones said it has "full confidence in the accuracy and rigor" of the Wall Street Journal's reporting and vowed to vigorously defend against the lawsuit [1, 2, 3, 4]. Trump has also filed defamation suits against other media organizations, including the New York Times, BBC, and Iowa's Des Moines Register [1, 3, 4].
The case will proceed in Miami federal court, with the next legal steps expected to unfold in the coming months [1, 2, 3, 4].
