We begin with breaking legal news out of Florida, where former President Donald Trump has filed a sweeping defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its parent companies, a case that is already sending shockwaves through media and political circles.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Miami, targets The Wall Street Journal, its reporters, parent company Dow Jones, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson, and media magnate Rupert Murdoch. At the heart of the case: a recently published journal article that alleges Trump penned a graphic birthday letter to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein back in 2003 a claim the former president forcefully denies.
According to the Journal’s report, the letter was said to be framed by an outline of a naked woman and concluded with the line: “Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret.” But Trump insists he never wrote such a letter and accuses the outlet of fabricating the story to damage his reputation and mislead the public.
The 18-page legal complaint describes the article as a “deliberate smear campaign” and alleges “massive financial and reputational harm” to the former president. Trump is seeking billions in damages.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump struck a defiant tone, saying: “This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to stand up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media.”
He also warned Murdoch and company executives of “many hours of depositions and testimonies” to come, suggesting a protracted legal battle ahead.
This is not Trump’s first legal strike against the press. CBS recently settled a defamation case for $16 million involving a controversial 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. ABC also reached a settlement late last year after airing a segment that Trump said mischaracterized a jury ruling related to allegations of sexual abuse. As of this hour, News Corp has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.
We will continue following this story and bring you updates as they develop. That’s the latest from Washington and Wall Street. Stay with us coming up next: the Biden administration’s new diplomatic maneuver in the South China Sea… and how it could impact global shipping routes.
Reporting by Katy Moore.
