Trump Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report

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Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, alleging defamation, following the publication of an article discussing a 2003 letter he sent to Jeffrey Epstein. In this letter, he mentioned they had a “remarkable secret” together.

In a lawsuit filed on Friday at the Federal Court in Florida, The Journal has now found itself among media outlets under fire from Donald Trump for unfavorable coverage. The legal battle that ensues may challenge the motivations of media to avoid Trump’s criticism, this time involving Dow Jones & Company (the parent company of The Journal), which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a close ally of Trump. Thus, it positions ABC News and CBS News as previous targets in the same category.

On Thursday, it was reported in the Journal that Epstein received a lewd letter from Trump, which had several typed passages and was illustrated with a figure of a naked woman surrounding the text. The letter contained a fictional dialogue about the two, presented in the third person within this illustration.

“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,” the note began.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. 

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. 

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. 

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? 

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. 

Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.

The report emerged during a heated controversy surrounding the alleged Epstein files, where Trump’s conservative followers are urging the Justice Department to disclose additional details about the documents, despite their claim that there is no “client list” linking influential figures to Epstein’s involvement in trafficking underage girls. On Wednesday, he criticized his supporters for their harsh comments concerning his administration’s choice not to reveal more content.

Trump has questioned the legitimacy of the letter mentioned in the Journal’s article. In an interview with the same publication, he asserted that neither the letter nor the accompanying drawing were written by him. “This isn’t my work,” he stated. “It’s a fabrication. It’s a false Wall Street Journal story.

He declared that he has never created a visual artwork in his life and has no inclination towards drawing female figures. He explained, ‘This is not my forte. This is not my choice of expression.’ Trump further emphasized his intention to take legal action against The Wall Street Journal, similar to how he’s sued others.

The tale didn’t feature a depiction of the letter or reveal its owner. In response, Vice President JD Vance implied that the Newspaper fabricated their report. “Where is this letter?” he inquired in a Thursday post on X. “Would it surprise you to learn they never showed it to us prior to publication? Is anyone truly convinced this resembles something Donald Trump would do?

The lawsuit, which followed Paramount Global agreeing to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over an October interview conducted by 60 Minutes with Kamala Harris, was initially seen as baseless by many legal experts. However, the settlement helped pave the way for regulatory approval of Paramount’s crucial merger with Skydance.

Major media figures have paid attention to Trump’s complaints about supposedly biased news coverage from a conservative perspective. For instance, Jeff Bezos restructured the opinion section of The Washington Post to make it more similar to Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal. Similarly, Bob Iger permitted ABC News to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump (as reported by The New York Times). The Los Angeles Times, under owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, has adjusted its strategy to give more attention to conservative viewpoints.

More to come…

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2025-07-18 23:54