Trump returns to sue newspaper for $10 billion over reports on Epstein
US President Donald Trump filed a new defamation lawsuit on Wednesday (27), seeking at least $10 billion in damages against the Wall Street Journal for reporting on his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, after a judge dismissed an earlier version of the lawsuit due to legal deficiencies.
The lawsuit is one of several that Trump has filed in his personal capacity against media outlets, part of what critics see as a broader pressure campaign against the media.
The US president's lawsuit alleges that the newspaper, owned by Rupert Murdoch, tarnished his reputation with an article that described a birthday card for late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as containing Trump's signature.
The Republican and his lawyers claim that the card is fake, even after it was released by parliamentarians investigating the Epstein case.
According to the lawsuit, Trump is asking for at least $10 billion in compensation. He had already asked for the same amount previously.
"At the time of publication, Defendants recklessly disregarded whether the defamatory statements were true and/or purposefully avoided discovery of the truth," Trump's lawyers wrote in the amended complaint.
The lawsuit filed in Miami federal court names Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp NWSA.O and its CEO, Robert Thomson, along with two Wall Street Journal reporters, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo, as defendants, alleging they defamed Trump and caused him to suffer "overwhelming" financial and reputational harm.
Dow Jones said it has full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of the Journal's reporting and will vigorously defend the lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles, appointed by former President Barack Obama, dismissed Trump's first complaint in April.
The judge found that the American president had not met the legal standard of "specific malice" for public figures in defamation cases, which requires proof that the defendant published a statement that he knew or should have known to be false.
Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits and other actions against other media organizations, including the New York Times, the BBC and the Iowa-based Des Moines Register. These outlets have denied any wrongdoing and are contesting the cases in court.
The Trump administration has moved to restrict press access to government agencies and threatened to use regulatory powers against critical outlets, drawing legal challenges from media organizations.
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's relationship
The White House has described Trump as the most open and accessible US president ever, saying his administration has expanded press access in unprecedented ways.
Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, died in a New York prison cell in 2019.
His case sparked conspiracy theories that became popular among Trump's base of supporters, who believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful.
Trump said he distanced himself from Epstein before the financier's legal troubles became public in 2006.
How does the Epstein case put pressure on the Trump administration? Understand
Source: CNN