Wall Street Journal asks judge to dismiss Trump's lawsuit over Epstein story

Source: Reuters

September 22, 2025 5:00 PM EDT Updated 6 hours ago


NEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Wall Street Journal asked a U.S. judge on Monday to dismiss President Donald Trump's lawsuit alleging the paper defamed him in a July 17 article asserting Trump's name was on a 2003 birthday greeting for the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the case a threat to freedom of speech.

"This meritless lawsuit threatens to chill the speech of those who dare to publish content that the President does not like," lawyers for the Journal and its billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch wrote in a court filing. A White House spokesperson referred to Trump's personal lawyers on the case, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump filed the lawsuit on July 18, as his administration faced criticism from its conservative base and congressional Democrats over its handling of the Epstein case. The Justice Department in early July said it would not make public files from its sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, reneging on earlier promises from Trump and his allies to do so.

The lawsuit is one of several Trump, a Republican, has filed in recent months against major media outlets over reporting he has characterized as unfair or false. That has led to concern among Democrats and press freedom advocates that he is seeking to use defamation cases to quell critical coverage.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/wall-street-journal-asks-judge-dismiss-trumps-lawsuit-over-epstein-story-2025-09-22/