In a decisive ruling, a judge has permanently dismissed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, concluding that he failed to demonstrate actual malice in the newspaper’s reporting.
The case, which centered on the Wall Street Journal’s coverage linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, saw Trump seek damages for what he alleged was defamatory reporting. The court’s decision effectively ends the legal challenge, as it found that the evidence presented did not satisfy the high threshold required to prove that the newspaper acted with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
Trump’s claim was based on the premise that the Journal’s articles contained unverified allegations that harmed his reputation. However, the judge ruled that the plaintiff had not met the burden of proof necessary to establish that the publication’s reporting was made with actual malice.
With the lawsuit dismissed, the Wall Street Journal retains the right to continue its coverage of the former president, while Trump’s legal team will no longer pursue the $10 billion claim in this instance.
Although the case is now closed, it underscores the high bar that defamation plaintiffs must clear when suing major news organisations in the United States.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>
