MIAMI, United States — U.S. President Donald Trump initiated a lawsuit against media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal on Friday, seeking at least $10 billion in damages. The defamation suit, filed in federal court in Miami, targets the publication of a recent article detailing his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, the alleged sex trafficker of underage girls.
The 79-year-old Republican’s legal action comes as he confronts a scandal that poses a significant threat to his political standing. “We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is, The Wall Street Journal,” Trump declared on Truth Social late Friday.
The Journal’s controversial report, published Thursday, alleged that in 2003, Trump, then a prominent real estate magnate, authored a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. The letter was purportedly illustrated with a drawing of a naked woman and alluded to a shared “secret.”
The lawsuit explicitly names two reporters, the Dow Jones corporation (publisher of the Journal), and Murdoch’s parent company News Corp. as defendants. Trump’s legal filing asserts that no such letter exists and that the newspaper intentionally sought to malign him with a story that has since garnered hundreds of millions of views.
The lawsuit further contends, “And given the timing of the Defendants’ article, which shows their malicious intent behind it, the overwhelming financial and reputational harm suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply.”
Dow Jones swiftly responded to Trump’s libel suit on Friday, firmly stating its confidence in and standing by the story. A Dow Jones spokesperson declared in a statement, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
Alleged cover-up and grand jury testimony
In a separate move aimed at quelling outrage among his supporters regarding an alleged government cover-up of Epstein’s activities and his 2019 death, President Trump has directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the prosecution against the disgraced financier.
In a filing submitted in New York, Bondi cited “extensive public interest” as the justification for this unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony.
Epstein, who maintained long-standing friendships with Trump and numerous other high-profile men, was found deceased by hanging in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his residences in New York and Florida.
His death, officially ruled a suicide, ignited widespread conspiracy theories, particularly among Trump’s far-right voter base, concerning an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles, further fueling the narrative that his death before trial was a suspicious event.
Upon Trump’s return to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein’s supposed client list. However, Attorney General Bondi issued an official memo this month, unequivocally declaring that no such list exists.
The lingering discontent within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base presents a rare challenge to the Republican’s typically firm control of the political narrative in the United States.
It remains uncertain whether a court will authorize the unsealing of the grand jury testimony. Even if such material were made public, there is no assurance that it would shed substantial light on the main questions underpinning the conspiracy theories, especially regarding the existence and contents of an alleged Epstein client list.
When questioned by reporters on Friday about whether he would pursue a broader release of information related to the case, Trump did not provide an answer.
The alleged “Bawdy” letter
Trump had maintained a close relationship with Epstein for several years, with the two frequently photographed and videoed together at social gatherings. However, no evidence of wrongdoing by Trump in connection with Epstein’s illicit activities has ever surfaced.
The Wall Street Journal article, published late Thursday, proved particularly damaging as it suggested a shared interest in sex between the two men.
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The Journal reported that in 2003, Trump had sent Epstein a “bawdy” letter wishing him a happy 50th birthday. This letter was allegedly part of an album containing messages from various rich and well-known figures.
According to the Journal’s account, Trump’s letter featured the outline of a naked woman, purportedly drawn with a marker, and bore the future president’s signature “Donald” mimicking pubic hair. The newspaper stated that the letter concluded with the phrase, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump reacted fiercely to the report in a series of social media posts, vehemently denying its claims. “it’s not my language. It’s not my words,” he asserted. He further stated, “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women.”
Despite this claim, U.S. media outlets have previously published multiple drawings attributed to Trump, with several dating back to the early 2000s when he utilized his celebrity status to donate sketches for charitable causes.
