Trump Revives $10B Defamation Battle Against WSJ Publisher News Corp

• The lawsuit is based on a July 2025 article claiming Trump sent Epstein a suggestive birthday note in 2003. 
• Trump’s lawyers said the newspaper ignored evidence that challenged the story’s accuracy. 
• Trump has filed or warned of lawsuits against several media organizations, including The New York Times, the BBC and the Des Moines Register. 

News Corp (NWSA, NWS) stock slipped in Thursday’s premarket as President Donald Trump revived his multibillion-dollar defamation fight against the Wall Street Journal publisher. 

The updated complaint follows a federal judge’s decision to throw out Trump’s earlier filing tied to a report describing his alleged connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump-NWSA Legal Fight Intensifies

The updated lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Miami, again demands at least $10 billion over reporting about Trump’s past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

The lawsuit centers on a July 2025 article that claimed Trump sent Epstein a provocative birthday message in 2003.

Trump’s lawyers claim the newspaper published false information or ignored evidence that may have challenged the story. Attorney Alejandro Brito said the defendants ignored concerns about accuracy and avoided finding the truth. 

The updated lawsuit comes after Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled in April that Trump’s earlier complaint did not properly prove “actual malice,” a key requirement in defamation cases involving public figures.

News Corp Class A stock edged 0.07% lower in Thursday’s premarket. 

Media Executives And Reporters Named

The case targets several defendants, including media executive Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo. Trump claims the article caused significant reputational and financial damage.

Dow Jones has continued to defend its reporting, saying the publication stands behind the story's accuracy and editorial standards and intends to challenge the lawsuit in court.

Trump has intensified his long-running confrontation with major news organizations through an expanding series of lawsuits that critics describe as an effort to pressure investigative journalism.

The Wall Street Journal case represents only one front in Trump’s broader legal offensive against media organizations. Over recent years, Trump has pursued or threatened legal action against several outlets, including The New York Times Co. (NYT), the BBC and the Des Moines Register.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around News Corp stock remained in ‘neutral’ territory. 

NWSA stock has gained nearly 2% year-to-date. 

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