The Wall Street Journal seeks to dismiss Trump’s $10B defamation suit over a 2003 birthday note claim, calling it accurate and protected speech.

The Wall Street Journal and its parent companies have asked a federal judge to dismiss Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a July 2025 article claiming Trump sent a bawdy birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The Journal argues the article is accurate, citing a letter released by the Epstein estate and the House Oversight Committee that matches the one described, and contends the content—being a humorous or suggestive note—cannot be defamatory. They assert the lawsuit threatens press freedom and seek dismissal with prejudice and legal fees. Trump denies the letter is authentic, claiming the signature is not his, but must prove “actual malice” to win. The case is part of a broader pattern of Trump filing defamation suits against media outlets, including a recently dismissed $15 billion suit against the New York Times. Epstein died in 2019; his associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence.