TRUMP SUES WALL STREET JOURNAL OVER EPSTEIN REPORT, SAYS PRESS MUST BE TRUTHFUL
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a high-profile defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, accusing the newspaper of publishing “false and malicious” claims linking him to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Wednesday, stems from a recent investigative article that Trump’s legal team says included “reckless and defamatory insinuations” about the former president’s relationship with Epstein and his visits to the latter’s private properties.
The report, published earlier this month, detailed Epstein’s extensive network of powerful associates and visitors to his private residences in New York, Florida, and the Virgin Islands. Though the Journal acknowledged that Trump severed ties with Epstein years before the financier’s arrest and death, the article mentioned the former president’s past social interactions with Epstein and included flight logs and witness accounts suggesting multiple meetings in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Trump, who has repeatedly denied any improper relationship with Epstein, said the Journal‘s report crossed a line. In a statement released by his campaign, he called the article a “disgraceful smear” and accused the press of trying to “revive a baseless conspiracy” during an election season. “I never did anything wrong, and I had nothing to do with Epstein’s criminal conduct,” Trump said. “This is fake news designed to damage me politically and personally.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Wall Street Journal “knowingly published false information” and failed to provide proper context or include rebuttals from Trump or his representatives before publication. His legal team is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, and a formal retraction of the article.
Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, argued that the media must be held accountable when it spreads damaging narratives without concrete evidence. “Freedom of the press is not a license to defame,” she said. “This article was carefully timed and strategically designed to mislead the public about President Trump’s past and to associate him with reprehensible acts he had no involvement in.”
In response, The Wall Street Journal said it stands by its reporting and will “vigorously defend the integrity and accuracy of its journalism.” Dow Jones, the parent company of the newspaper, stated that the article in question was based on public records, verified documents, and multiple sources. “Our responsibility is to inform the public, even when the facts involve uncomfortable truths about powerful individuals,” the company said.
Legal experts note that defamation cases involving public figures face a high legal threshold under U.S. law. Trump will need to prove not only that the statements were false and damaging, but that they were made with “actual malice”—a standard set by the Supreme Court in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Still, they acknowledge that the lawsuit could serve as a warning shot to media outlets covering the 2024–25 election cycle.
The case reignites long-running tensions between Trump and the media, particularly major publications he has frequently labeled “fake news.” Whether the suit results in a courtroom battle or a settlement remains to be seen—but it has already intensified the debate over press freedom, responsibility, and the limits of political reporting.