Trump's $10bn defamation suit against Wall Street Journal is dismissed
Updated
Updated · AlterNet · May 6
Trump's $10bn defamation suit against Wall Street Journal is dismissed
10 articles · Updated · AlterNet · May 6
Editor Emma Tucker said the case was thrown out last month and highlighted a rise in legal threats before publication at a journalism summit.
She said wealthy figures increasingly use lawsuits and legal letters as a public-relations tactic to deter reporting or raise costs for news organisations.
Speakers including Patrick Radden Keefe and Guardian editor Kath Viner linked the pressure to wider challenges for journalism, from Trump-era media incentives to AI-driven misinformation.
As lawsuits attack stories before they're published, is the legal shield protecting press freedom about to shatter?
When legal threats silence reporters and AI floods us with fakes, how can the average person find the truth?
Legal Setback for Trump: Judge Rejects $10B Lawsuit Targeting Wall Street Journal
Overview
In April 2026, a federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, ruling that Trump failed to prove the newspaper acted with actual malice—a high legal standard protecting free speech about public figures. The Journal's thorough reporting, including seeking comments from government agencies and publishing Trump's denial, undermined claims of reckless disregard for the truth. Despite the dismissal, Trump vowed to refile, continuing a broader pattern of lawsuits against media outlets seen by experts as attempts to intimidate the press and chill critical reporting. The lawsuit stemmed from controversy over a 2003 letter allegedly linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, which polarized political opinion and deepened public distrust in media and government transparency.