Judge tosses Trump's $10 billion suit against the WSJ over Epstein birthday book report

A federal judge in Florida on Monday dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a bawdy 50th birthday card he is alleged to have sent to Jeffrey Epstein.

A federal judge in Florida on Monday dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a bawdy 50th birthday card he is alleged to have sent to Jeffrey Epstein.

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U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles tossed the case after he found Trump’s suit “comes nowhere close” to reaching the standard of actual malice — a showing "the false statement was made with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”

“Quite the opposite. The Article explains that, before running the story, Defendants contacted President Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment," Gayles wrote. "President Trump responded with his denial, the Justice Department did not respond at all, and the FBI declined to comment. In short, the Complaint and Article confirm that Defendants attempted to investigate. The Article also states that the WSJ reviewed the Letter.”