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Trump sues Wall Street Journal for $10 billion: “False link to Epstein”

The US president is suing the newspaper, journalists and Rupert Murdoch over an article about an alleged obscene drawing sent to Epstein. But he has previously admitted to donating sketches to charity events

Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion against the Wall Street Journal, its publisher Dow Jones, two journalists and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The accusation is that they published a “false and malicious” article linking him to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex trafficking of minors and died in prison in 2019.

According to the business newspaper, Trump sent Epstein a birthday letter in 2003 with a drawing of a naked woman and an ambiguous message: ‘Happy birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.’ The complaint, filed in federal court in Miami, claims that the letter does not exist and accuses the defendants of causing serious reputational damage, amplified by the viral spread of the story.

Trump commented on the legal action on Truth Social: ‘We have just filed a powerful lawsuit against everyone involved in the publication of the false, malicious and defamatory article in the sewer that is the Wall Street Journal.’ He also denied any involvement: ‘It’s not my language, it’s not my words. I’ve never drawn a woman in my life.’

However, several US media outlets, including Rolling Stone, have pointed out that Trump has in the past created and donated drawings, some of which were signed, for charity auctions. Some sketches, such as the one of the Manhattan skyline, fetched tens of thousands of dollars between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In response to the lawsuit, a Dow Jones spokesperson defended the credibility of the investigation: ‘We have complete confidence in the strength and accuracy of our journalism and will defend ourselves vigorously.’

Meanwhile, in response to growing pressure from his electorate, Trump has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of secret grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. The request, filed in New York and justified by ‘broad public interest,’ has reignited conspiracy theories about an alleged list of clients involved in Epstein’s trafficking. However, it is unclear whether the court will grant the request, or whether the documents will confirm or refute the speculation circulating in pro-MAGA circles.

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