Trump sues Wall Street Journal $10 bln over Epstein report

U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch and News Corp, over a report linking him to a 2003 birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein that allegedly included a sexually suggestive drawing and references to shared secrets. Filed on Friday (July 19) in a Miami court, the suit names Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and two Journal reporters, accusing them of causing Trump "overwhelming" reputational and financial harm. Trump has denied the Journal’s claims, calling the birthday note "fake." Reuters has not independently verified the report. The lawsuit stems from an article alleging Trump’s name appeared on the greeting sent to Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial. The Epstein case remains a focus of conspiracy theories among Trump supporters, many of whom believe authorities concealed Epstein’s ties to elites. Dow Jones responded by standing behind the Journal’s reporting, stating it would "vigorously defend against any lawsuit." If awarded, the $10 billion claim would rank among the largest defamation payouts in history.