Donald Trump has launched a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, and two journalists from The Wall Street Journal. He is demanding at least $10 billion (£7.5 billion) in damages after a report claimed he had ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the article, Trump’s name appeared in a handwritten note addressed to Epstein. The note was part of a 50th birthday album prepared by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, three years before any public allegations surfaced against Epstein.
The report stated that the message included a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and bore the signature “Donald”.
Trump strongly denied writing the note. He described the publication as “false, malicious, and defamatory.” He named both reporters and News Corp as defendants in the suit.
In a post on his platform, Truth Social, Trump described the move as a “historic legal action.” He wrote, “We have just filed a powerhouse lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, defamatory article in the useless ‘rag’ that is The Wall Street Journal.”
He went on to say, “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are ready for the many hours of depositions and testimonies they’ll have to give.”
Legal pushback and broader developments
At the time of writing, the full legal filing has not been released. Trump submitted the case to a federal court in Miami, Florida.
In response, Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, defended its reporting. A spokesperson said, “We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice is seeking to unseal grand jury transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case. The request follows criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted the motion one day after Trump ordered the department to take action. He noted that public interest in the case remains high. In addition, he argued that privacy concerns have less relevance, given Epstein’s death.
Last week, the Justice Department announced it would no longer release further evidence from the Epstein investigation. As a result, critics raised concerns over transparency.
Epstein first faced public accusations in 2006. That year, he accepted a plea deal after his arrest. Authorities arrested him again in 2019 on sex trafficking charges. He later died in custody.
Trump had appeared in photographs with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s. However, in 2019, he stated that he had ended their contact long before Epstein’s legal problems became known.
