Donald Trump has had his $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal dismissed by a judge after the paper published a disputed birthday note linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump, 79, brought the case following a July 2025 article that included a drawing of a naked woman's torso and a birthday message allegedly sent to Epstein, who died aged 66 in 2019 in jail.

The note, reportedly signed in 2003, suggested the pair "have certain things in common".

Trump denied sending the card and sought damages for reputational harm.

But the lawsuit was dismissed on Monday (13.04.26) by Judge Darrin Gayles, who ruled the legal threshold for proving "actual malice" had not been met.

The Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

The article described a message imagining a conversation between the two men ending with: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret."

It also allegedly included the line: "Enigmas never age."

Trump insisted he did not send the note and said he did not "draw pictures".

He sought $10 billion in damages, claiming the publication harmed his reputation.

Judge Gayles said: "This complaint comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite."

The judge added the Wall Street Journal had contacted Trump for comment prior to publication and included his denial, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

To meet the legal standard for malice, Trump's lawyers would have needed to prove not only the claims were false but that the newspaper knew or should have known they were false.

Trump said he had "personally" called Mr Murdoch in an attempt to have the story stopped and was assured the matter would be handled - but the article was published.

Lawyers for the newspaper argued the lawsuit posed a threat to free speech and was an attempt to silence reporting Trump disagreed with.

The case is one of several Trump has filed against media organisations during his presidency over what he has described as "fake news".

He is also pursuing legal action against BBC over claims relating to a Panorama documentary and reporting first revealed by The Telegraph.

Trump wrote on Truth Social about his Wall Street Journal case ruling: "Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge,"

He added: "It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th. President DONALD J. TRUMP."