Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report, Seeks $10 Billion
The lawsuit filed in Miami federal court names Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp (NWSA.O), opens new tab and its Chief Executive Robert Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters as defendants, saying they defamed Trump and caused him to suffer "overwhelming" financial and reputational harm.
Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019.
His case has generated conspiracy theories that became popular among Trump's base of supporters who believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful.
Trump has said he parted ways with Epstein before the financier's legal troubles became public in 2006.
The president has vehemently denied the Journal report, which Reuters has not verified, and had warned Murdoch that he planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp.
"We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case," Trump added.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones said in a statement: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."
The lawsuit called Trump's alleged birthday greeting "fake," and said the Journal published its article to harm Trump's reputation.
'Tellingly, the Article does not explain whether Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it, have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that would otherwise lend credibility to the Article,' the lawsuit said.
To prevail on his defamation claims, Trump must show the defendants acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth.
A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest defamation judgments and settlements in recent history.
These include a $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Fox News' settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cedar News
an hour ago
- Cedar News
Trump Blocks Taiwan President Lai's New York Stopover
The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump has denied permission for Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te to stop in New York during his planned transit to Central America. The move comes after China raised objections with Washington regarding the visit. Lai was scheduled to pass through the United States in August en route to Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize—countries that officially recognize Taiwan. However, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision, the U.S. government informed Lai that he would not be allowed to visit New York during his trip. On Monday, Lai's office in Taipei announced that he currently has no plans for overseas travel, citing Taiwan's ongoing recovery from a recent typhoon and ongoing trade discussions with the U.S., particularly concerning tariffs. Insiders indicate that Lai's decision to cancel travel plans followed the notification that his New York stopover would not be permitted. This development has sparked concern among Taiwan's supporters in Washington, who fear that the Trump administration may be softening its stance on China amid efforts to organize a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Recent reports from the Financial Times reveal that the U.S. Commerce Department was instructed to freeze plans for stringent export controls against China, highlighting the ongoing delicate trade negotiations between the two countries. Lai also intended to visit Dallas during his trip, but it remains unclear whether the denial of permission extends beyond New York to the entire U.S. transit. China has consistently opposed Taiwanese leaders visiting the U.S., which does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei. Notably, the Biden administration permitted then-President Tsai Ing-wen to stop in New York in 2023 while traveling to Belize and Guatemala. Experts suggest that the Trump administration's decision reflects a desire to avoid aggravating Beijing during sensitive diplomatic talks. Bonnie Glaser, a China and Taiwan expert, noted that this action signals a willingness to negotiate aspects of U.S.-Taiwan relations, potentially weakening U.S. deterrence against China's ambitions regarding Taiwan. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Stockholm to continue trade negotiations amid this backdrop. Critics argue that yielding to Beijing's pressure is a strategic mistake that could embolden China to demand further concessions from the U.S. The White House has yet to comment on the decision, while the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington referred inquiries back to Lai's office statement.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday many people were starving in Gaza and suggested Israel could do more on humanitarian access, as desperate Palestinians hoped for aid a day after the Israeli military announced steps to improve supplies. As the death toll from two years of war in Gaza nears 60,000, a growing number of people are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say, with images of starving children shocking the world and fuelling international criticism of Israel over sharply worsening conditions. Describing starvation in Gaza as real, Trump's assessment put him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Monday "there is no starvation in Gaza" and vowed to fight on against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Trump, speaking during a visit to Scotland, said Israel has a lot of responsibility for aid flows, and that a lot of people could be saved. "You have a lot of starving people," he said. "We're going to set up food centers," with no fences or boundaries to ease access, Trump said. The U.S. would work with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including food and sanitation, he said. On Monday, the Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 88 children, most in just the last few weeks. Israel announced several measures over the weekend, including daily humanitarian pauses in three areas of Gaza, new safe corridors for aid convoys, and airdrops. The decision followed the collapse of cease-fire talks on Friday. U.N. agencies said a long-term steady supply of aid was needed. The World Food Programme said 60 trucks of aid had been dispatched — short of target. Almost 470,000 people in Gaza are enduring famine-like conditions, with 90,000 women and children in need of specialist nutrition treatments, it said. "Our target at the moment, every day is to get 100 trucks into Gaza," WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, Samer AbdelJaber, told Reuters. Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Reuters the situation is catastrophic. "At this time, children are dying every single day from starvation, from preventable disease. So time has run out," he said. "The catastrophe is here," he said. "Children are dying from starvation, and it's manmade by Israel from A to Z." Netanyahu denied any policy of starvation towards Gaza, saying aid supplies would be kept up whether Israel was negotiating a ceasefire or fighting, he said. Hamas' shall be there no more "We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They shall be there no more," Netanyahu said. Trump said Hamas had become difficult to deal with in recent days, but he was talking with Netanyahu about "various plans" to free hostages still held in the enclave. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked communities in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. The Gaza health ministry said that 98 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours. In Gaza, Palestinians described the challenge of securing aid for their families living in tent encampments, a chaotic and often dangerous process. "Currently aid comes for the strong who can race ahead, who can push others and grab a box or a sack of flour. That chaos must be stopped and protection for those trucks must be allowed," said Emad, 58, who used to own a factory in Gaza City. While some manage to get aid, others are deprived, said Wessal Nabil, from Beit Lahiya. She said her husband was unable to bring aid because of an injured leg. She had tried herself several times but without success. "So who will feed us? Who will give us to drink?" she told Reuters. The WFP said it has 170,000 metric tons of food in the region, outside Gaza, which would be enough to feed the whole population for the next three months if it gets the clearance to bring into the enclave. COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said that over 120 trucks were distributed in Gaza on Sunday by the U.N. and international organizations. Some of the trucks that made it into Gaza were seized by desperate Palestinians, and some by armed looters, witnesses said. More aid was expected on Monday. Qatar said it had sent 49 trucks that arrived in Egypt en route for Gaza. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies. Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March in what it said was a means to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds, and reopened aid with new restrictions in May. Hamas accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon. Israel says it abides by international law but must prevent aid from being diverted by militants, and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people.
MTV Lebanon
3 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Ireland 'not exactly celebrating' Trump's deal with EU
Ireland is "not exactly celebrating" the new EU-US trade deal, an Irish minister of state has said, but added that it provides certainty. US President Donald Trump and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday they have agreed a US tariff on all EU goods of 15%. That is half the 30% import tax rate Trump had threatened to implement starting on Friday. He said the 27-member bloc would open its markets to US exporters with zero per cent tariffs on certain products. Neale Richmond, a minister of state in Ireland's foreign affairs department, said the deal "gives us that certainty that has been lacking in the last number of months". "We're not exactly celebrating this, it's not a case that this is a good thing but it's probably the least bad option based on what we were facing a couple of days ago, the prospect of a 30% tariff," Richmond told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster on Monday. "The EU is a tough negotiator but this isn't like any trade deal I have ever experienced before, in my 15 odd years of working on EU trade deals. It is what it is and we move on." He added: "We don't want a tariff war, tariffs are a bad thing. We want stability for businesses and we have that today." Trump has wielded tariffs against major US trade partners in a bid to reorder the global economy and trim the American trade deficit. Von der Leyen has hailed the deal, saying it will bring stability for both allies, who together account for almost a third of global trade. The EU's top official described the deal as a "framework" agreement, with further technical details to be negotiated "over the next weeks". Speaking of the pharmaceutical sector, Richmond said there was a "case made" that certain medications would be tariff free. "These are some of the areas we will have to dig into, but absolutely we have a lot to work on," he said. "The pharmaceutical sector isn't just really important to a lot of Irish businesses, it must be said it's really important to a lot of American consumers and crucially patients who rely on these drugs too." Speaking following the announcement, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said the news of the trade deal is "very welcome". Martin said the fact that tariffs would still be higher than before would make trade "more expensive and more challenging". However, he added that the agreement will bring "a new era of stability" and will "help protect many jobs in Ireland". Speaking to Good Morning Ulster on Monday, former UK ambassador to the US Lord Kim Darroch said: "As an outcome, it's a relief I guess for everyone in the European Union that it's not worse, but this isn't anything for great celebration, this is a backwards step." In 2024, Ireland exported goods worth £60.4bn ($81.1bn) to the US. The commission has the mandate to negotiate trade deals for the entire bloc - but it still requires approval by EU member states, whose ambassadors will meet on Monday for a debrief from the commission.
