TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent companies Dow Jones and News Corp, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
The suit, submitted on Friday in Miami, Florida, demands at least US$10 billion in damages, according to reports by Al Jazeera and Sky News.
The lawsuit stems from a WSJ article that claimed Trump sent a sexually suggestive birthday note to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The letter was said to be part of a birthday gift collection compiled by Epstein’s then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, for his 50th birthday.
According to the WSJ, the letter included an illustration interpreted as sexually explicit, showing a stylized image of a woman’s breasts with Trump’s signature, “Donald,” positioned where pubic hair would be. The drawing was placed around several lines of typed text.
The message read: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and featured the signature “Donald”.
Trump has denied the claims, calling the letter a fabrication. He had previously hinted at legal action, posting on Truth Social: “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!”
Dow Jones responded, saying it stands by the reporting: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” a company spokesperson stated.
Trump declined to answer questions about Epstein during a public signing of a cryptocurrency bill at the White House the same day the lawsuit was filed.
Trump's prior association with Epstein has long fueled speculation. The two were seen together at several social events in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2019, Trump claimed he had distanced himself from Epstein before the latter’s legal troubles became public.
Public interest in Epstein’s connections to powerful figures, ranging from Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew to Bill Gates, has remained high, especially among right-wing supporters of Trump. Many believe there has been a government cover-up to protect elite individuals linked to Epstein.
Last week, tensions escalated when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi backed out of a campaign promise to release court documents that were rumored to name high-profile Epstein associates. Trump supporters, who had anticipated bombshell revelations, were outraged.
A July 7 memo from the Department of Justice concluded that Epstein died by suicide and found no evidence of a list of blackmail targets or clients. Nonetheless, Trump allies remain skeptical.
Despite Bondi’s withdrawal, her deputy Todd Blanche announced on Friday that the Justice Department had moved to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein’s case. Blanche cited strong public interest as the reason.
The Department of Justice also filed documents in a Manhattan federal court Friday stating that the cases against Epstein and Maxwell warrant greater transparency, further justifying the unsealing request.
Earlier that day, Trump again called for more disclosures. The legal showdown with WSJ now adds a new dimension to the ongoing controversy surrounding Epstein’s legacy—and Trump’s efforts to distance himself from it.
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