Key Points
- US President Donald Trump has initiated legal action against the Wall Street Journal and its proprietors, such as Rupert Murdoch.
- The paper alleged that Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday message featuring a sexually suggestive sketch.
- Trump strongly rejected the Journal’s account, branding the publication as a “pile of garbage”.
The owner of the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, announced on Friday it plans to “vigorously defend” itself following Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit concerning a recent piece associating the US president with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” a Dow Jones spokesperson stated hours after Trump filed legal action claiming at least US$10 billion in damages from the organization, The Wall Street Journal, and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, News Corp’s founder, which is the parent company of the paper.
The federal court records in the Southern District of Florida indicated Trump filed his lawsuit Friday against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters from the Wall Street Journal, alleging violations under federal libel law.
A copy of the complaint was not immediately accessible.
Trump fervently denied the Journal’s account, which suggested he sent Epstein a celebratory note in 2003 that contained a sexually suggestive illustration and alluded to secrets they purportedly shared.
“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!!!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday morning.
New York City’s chief medical examiner concluded that Epstein had taken his own life, but this conclusion has been disputed, with many believing he was murdered.
The Epstein case has fueled conspiracy theories that resonated with Trump’s supporter base, who suspected the government was concealing Epstein’s links to affluent and influential individuals.
Some of Trump’s most loyal followers became furious after his administration reversed course on its promise to release files related to the Epstein investigation.
A Justice Department memo released on 7 July concluded that Epstein killed himself and said there was “no incriminating client list” or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people.
Attorney-General Pam Bondi had pledged months earlier to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including “a lot of names” and “a lot of flight logs”.
With pressure to release the Epstein files building, Trump on Thursday said he directed Bondi to ask a court to release grand jury testimony about Epstein.
The US government on Friday filed a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal those grand jury transcripts.
The Department of Justice said the criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell are a matter of public interest, justifying the release of associated grand jury transcripts.
The Journal reported that the letter with Trump’s name was included in a leather-bound birthday album for Epstein, which also had messages from various prominent personalities.
The newspaper said the letter contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.
The newspaper said the letter concludes “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and featured the signature “Donald.”
Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006 — after the birthday book was produced — and he was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal.
Epstein died in 2019 in jail after he was arrested for a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy.
Trump, who was photographed with Epstein multiple times in social situations in the 1990s and early 2000s, told reporters in 2019 that he ended his relationship with Epstein long before his legal troubles became apparent.
