Federal judge rules Trump failed to meet “actual malice” standard, handing early legal victory to media defendants while leaving door open for an amended complaint
A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against The Wall Street Journal, concluding that the president did not sufficiently demonstrate that the publication acted with “actual malice” in its reporting on a controversial letter tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a sharply worded ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles found that Trump’s legal team “came nowhere close” to meeting the high bar required in defamation cases involving public figures. The decision underscores the enduring legal protections afforded to media organizations under the First Amendment, particularly when reporting on matters of public concern.
Judge Gayles, however, emphasized that the Journal undertook substantial efforts to verify the document prior to publication. The ruling noted that the newspaper included Trump’s denial in its reporting and sought comment from federal authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice—steps that undercut claims of reckless disregard for the truth.
