What they claimed. What they did. What the evidence shows.
A federal judge in South Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation complaint over reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein, but did so without prejudice and set an April 27 deadline for an amended filing. The order stops the first version of the case without resolving the underlying dispute.
Why it matters: Procedural setback for Trump's Epstein-related defamation suit
Returning reader
A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch without prejudice on April 13, 2026, saying the complaint did not adequately plead malice. Trump has until April 27 to file an amended version, so the case is alive — just not in the form he first filed.
Read the complete verified updateComplete record
Newest first
A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch without prejudice on April 13, 2026, saying the complaint did not adequately plead malice. Trump has until April 27 to file an amended version, so the case is alive — just not in the form he first filed.
A federal judge in South Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation complaint over reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein, but did so without prejudice and set an April 27 deadline for an amended filing. The order stops the first version of the case without resolving the underlying dispute.
A Florida judge dismissed Trump’s defamation suit over the Wall Street Journal’s Epstein reporting without prejudice, which means Trump can try again by April 27. That is not the same as winning, and the order was a blunt reminder that the original complaint did not clear the legal bar for a public figure defamation claim. Trump got a temporary escape hatch, not vindication.
A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation suit over the Wall Street Journal’s Epstein reporting on April 13, 2026, but did so without prejudice and gave him until April 27 to file an amended complaint. The ruling was a setback, not a final end to the case.
A federal judge in Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation suit over a Wall Street Journal report tied to Jeffrey Epstein, but left the door open for an amended complaint. Trump said he plans to refile by April 27.
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s defamation suit over the WSJ’s Epstein reporting on April 13, 2026, but left him room to amend the complaint. Trump said he would refile by April 27.
A federal judge in Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation complaint over reporting about an alleged Epstein birthday letter without prejudice on April 13, 2026, and gave him until April 27 to file an amended version.
A federal judge threw out Trump’s first Epstein-related defamation complaint without prejudice, leaving him a chance to refile but also signaling that the initial version was not good enough.
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s defamation suit over the Epstein-linked reporting without prejudice on April 13, meaning he can seek to amend and refile. The ruling was not a decision on the merits, but it did say the complaint as filed was not enough to move forward.
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s lawsuit without prejudice on April 13 and gave him until April 27 to try again. The ruling does not decide the case on the merits, but it does say the complaint as filed did not clear the actual-malice standard.
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit over the Journal’s Epstein birthday-book report, saying the first complaint did not plausibly allege actual malice. The case was dismissed without prejudice, which means Trump gets one more shot if he files an amended complaint by April 27. That is not vindication; it is the legal equivalent of being told to redo the assignment after the teacher circled h…
A federal judge in Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation suit over Wall Street Journal reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein, but left the door open for an amended complaint. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles said the filing did not plausibly allege actual malice and gave Trump until April 27, 2026, to try again.
A Florida federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, saying the complaint did not yet make the case for actual malice. The judge gave Trump a chance to refile, and Trump immediately framed the loss as a technicality rather than a defeat. That may be the legal posture. Politically, though, it is another reminder that the Epstein fight is stil…
Truth standard
The linked reports preserve their sources, audit notes, confidence rating, corrections, and comments. The page Q&A is restricted to those connected materials and will say when the evidence does not establish an answer.