Judge Dismisses Trump's Defamation Suit Against WSJ

A U.S. judge dismissed Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal regarding an article about Trump's alleged birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein. The judge ruled that Trump did not meet the 'actual malice' standard but allowed him to re-file by April 27.

A U.S. District Judge in Miami has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against the Wall Street Journal. This action stemmed from an article claiming Trump's name was on a birthday greeting for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

Judge Darrin Gayles stated that Trump could not fulfill the "actual malice" requirement needed for public figures to win defamation cases. This standard requires proving that the statement was false and that the media knew or should have known about its falsity.

While Trump can re-file the lawsuit by April 27, the Wall Street Journal's parent company, News Corp's Dow Jones, stands by the article's accuracy. Trump labeled the greeting as 'fake' and sought $10 billion in damages for reputational harm.

(With inputs from agencies.)