Trump Sues Rupert Murdoch, News Corp and WSJ for $10 Billion Over Epstein Letter Report
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a $10 billion (£7.5 billion) defamation lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal reporters, and the Journal’s parent company, News Corp. The lawsuit, filed in Miami, accuses the defendants of publishing what Trump claims is a false and malicious story linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to court filings, Trump alleges the Wall Street Journal acted with “malicious intent,” causing severe damage to both his reputation and finances. The article in question reported that Trump had written a suggestive letter to Epstein in 2003, which was allegedly part of a birthday gift collection arranged by Epstein’s former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Journal described the letter as containing typewritten text and a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, signed simply “Donald.” Trump has strongly denied the letter’s authenticity.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump called the lawsuit a “historic legal action” and said it was being filed not only on his behalf but “on behalf of all Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media.”
He further added, “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case.”
Sky News reports that Trump first threatened legal action after the WSJ published the Epstein-related letter on Thursday night. Trump immediately posted that the letter was fake, stating, “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.” He added that he had warned Murdoch not to publish what he called a “scam story.”
When questioned about Epstein during a White House event where he signed a cryptocurrency bill, Trump declined to respond.
The lawsuit also coincides with renewed public and legal scrutiny surrounding Epstein. On the same day Trump filed his case, the U.S. Justice Department submitted a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and Maxwell, citing overwhelming public interest. Trump later said Attorney General Pam Bondi had been asked to support the release of the records, but expressed scepticism about whether it would satisfy critics.
“There will always be more, more, more,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Sky News notes that while the Justice Department holds about 200 Epstein-related documents, the FBI possesses thousands more. However, grand jury material remains protected under U.S. law and is rarely made public.
