Trump has formally filed a defamation lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and its journalists. The incident stems from a report by The Wall Street Journal about a batch of letters received by Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday in May 2003, including one signed with Trump's name and accompanied by a sketch of a nude woman's silhouette. Trump firmly denies having written that note.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday at the federal court in Miami, seeking at least $2 billion in damages. In an 18-page complaint, Trump's legal team accused The Wall Street Journal's parent company of "grossly violating journalistic ethics and basic standards of accurate reporting." The complaint stated, "Millions of people have seen the false and defamatory statements made by the defendants. Considering the timing of the article and the malice behind it, the significant economic and reputational losses suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply."
The lawsuit documents also pointed out that The Wall Street Journal's report did not publish the artwork or the letter allegedly written by Trump. The complaint states that these false reports appeared because there was no such letter or artwork. The defendant "failed to attach the letter, failed to provide the alleged drawing, failed to present evidence that President Trump wrote or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how the alleged letter was obtained."
Trump Firmly Denies Contact
On Thursday, the same day the Wall Street Journal report was published, Trump immediately threatened to sue. The report was written by journalists Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, who were also named as defendants in this lawsuit.
Trump posted on the social platform Truth Social, stating, "The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch himself have been clearly warned by me that the letter they claim I wrote to Epstein is fake, and if they dare to publish it, they will face litigation." Trump also said that the owner of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, had claimed he would handle the matter, but obviously, Murdoch did not have the ability to do so.
After filing the lawsuit, Trump still posted on Truth Social, stating that this lawsuit is part of his campaign to punish the media, and he has previously sued ABC and CBS, reaching multi-million-dollar settlement agreements with both networks.
He wrote, "This lawsuit is not only for your favorite president—me—but also to continue speaking up for all Americans, because we can no longer tolerate the abuse and illegal actions of fake news media."
A spokesperson for The Wall Street Journal's parent company Dow Jones said, "We are confident in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting and will strongly contest any lawsuit."
Epstein Caused Division Within MAGA
In recent years, the relationship between Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has once again become a focus of public attention. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal human trafficking charges in New York City, and multiple official investigations concluded that his death was a suicide.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump mentioned considering releasing more files related to Epstein in response to demands from right-wing influential figures. These individuals have long called for increased transparency in the case and questioned whether Epstein's death was truly a suicide. Trump used the Epstein case as a means to attack Democrats and gain votes.
Earlier this month, a memo released by the Department of Justice during Trump's term stated that there was no evidence that Epstein had kept a list of elite clients or specific materials involving their involvement in sexual crimes. This statement disappointed some of Trump's most loyal supporters and caused a clear split within the "MAGA Alliance."
Following the release of The Wall Street Journal's report, the MAGA camp seemed to unite again to defend Trump and vent their anger toward a common enemy: the media. Charlie Kirk, who had urged Trump to increase transparency in the Epstein case, stated that The Wall Street Journal's article "just doesn't match the facts."
A close ally of the White House said that the report helped the president's supporters "get their heads straight" and provided "a lifeline for everyone."
Trump's Latest Media Battle
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides strong protection for press freedom. Legal experts say they cannot recall any precedent where a sitting president has sued a news organization over a single article.
Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment lawyer, told CNN, "To my knowledge, no sitting president has ever sued a news organization or journalist for defamation. As a president, you have the highest platform in the country; you don't need to seek the truth through litigation."
During his 2024 re-election campaign, Trump launched several lawsuits. In March of that year, he sued ABC Television, claiming that host George Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated on his show that a jury had ruled that Trump had "raped" E. Jean Carroll, which constituted defamation. In fact, the jury found that Trump had sexually assaulted and beaten Carroll, but did not find that she proved she had been raped. Trump denied any misconduct towards Carroll.
Disney, the parent company of ABC, later reached a settlement with Trump, promising to pay $16 million to his future presidential library, setting a precedent for subsequent settlements.
Just two weeks ago, Trump agreed to withdraw his lawsuit against CBS News from October 2024, which involved a segment aired by CBS's 60 Minutes program during the final days of the campaign. Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to fund Trump's presidential library.
Additionally, Meta and X have settled lawsuits initiated by Trump before his second term. There are currently at least three ongoing lawsuits against media and tech companies.
Professor Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond School of Law said that Trump's lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal is consistent with recent settlements and his plan to cut funding for public broadcasting. "In these cases, Trump's attacks on the media are weakening the press freedom protected by the First Amendment, making media and other institutions more cautious when reporting on Trump, his government, and other federal and state officials."
Within minutes of submitting the lawsuit, Trump posted on Truth Social, expressing his anticipation of Murdoch being forced to testify under oath. "I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are prepared for hours of testimony and questioning in this case."
Trump's long-standing relationship with media mogul Murdoch has always been dramatic. Murdoch's company also owns Fox News, the right-wing television network that Trump favors, and Trump's daughter-in-law Laura Trump is an employee of the channel.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7528716329738617363/
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