Saying the president was “grasping at straws,” a federal judge on Saturday threw out Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a story reporting on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice, ruling that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice as required by law. The ruling said the lawsuit had attempted to “manufacture” flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting.
When a case is thrown out “with prejudice,” it cannot be refiled again and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible.
The dismissal is a blow to Trump and his administration, which have both pursued adversarial relationships with news organizations during his second term. In addition to the Journal, he is embroiled in lawsuits involving the BBC, The Associated Press and — most recently — CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which are suing him for restored access after he banished them from the White House in mid-September.
Trump has denounced media outlets that write things to which he objects and frequently calls them “fake news” and insults their journalists.
The White House did not immediately react publicly to Saturday's dismissal or respond to an AP request for comment.
The lawsuit against the Journal was over a story it published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that the paper said bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
The letter was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump.
The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper.
Trump denied writing it and called the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accused the paper and its reporters of having “knowingly and recklessly” published “numerous false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleged, caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the president.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Gayles previously dismissed the suit in April, saying Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious. But he gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint, which he did in May.
In Saturday's ruling, the judge cited the Supreme Court's landmark 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. That decision made it harder for public figures to win libel lawsuits because it requires proof that a media outlet knowingly published something false or showed a reckless disregard for the truth.
“The Amended Complaint falls short of pleading actual malice,” Gayles wrote. “Indeed, the allegations regarding malice are conclusory, vague, sometimes inconsistent with the Article, and often irrelevant to whether Defendants knew or should have known that the statements in the Article were purportedly false.”
The judge also noted that the Journal's story did not ignore or minimize Trump's denial, “Rather, it informed readers that President Trump decried the Letter as a fake and denied writing it.”
Gayles also said several other allegations in the lawsuit did not have merit.
President Donald Trump walks from the podium after speaking at a campaign rally at the Ocean Center, in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A fresh WNBA CHAMPIONS T-shirt over her uniform, Gabby Williams cradled the shiny MVP trophy in one arm and gave it a kiss. She held up a No. 1 with her left hand, then hugged and high-fived her supporters all the way to Golden State's locker room where she pulled on some goggles for the celebration.
Williams made her way back to the Bay Area where she cherishes so many youth basketball memories exactly for a chance to do something like this — to win it all and be part of building something special.
And she has done that all right.
“I just walked into a group full of love,” Williams said. “And that just changed the entire trajectory of my career.”
Williams scored her team's final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on Saturday night.
“Gabby is our closer she stayed patient, she stayed with it,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “Closing with 30, that is incredible!”
Williams joined Penny Taylor in 2007 for Phoenix as the only players in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in a winner-takes-all Finals game.
Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the franchise's fourth try.
Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball — Gray against Williams — and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.
“I'm just so blessed, this is insane!” said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago.
Rhyne Howard's layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer once more with a clutch 3-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40 remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes — now a four-time WNBA champion — pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason.
Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area determined to prove herself as a WNBA star after all her international success — and now she's a postseason icon. Fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” throughout the fourth quarter.
“All it took was good people,” she said. “All we heard last year was we don’t have no stars. We don’t have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game.”
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as confetti fell from the rafters.
“Ballhalla” had become “Boohalla” for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in the raucous arena. Now, with a women's championship to its name right alongside the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
“We gotta build a bigger trophy case,” co-owner Peter Guber said.
The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0 this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream's DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
Nakase told Williams at halftime the game would open up for her.
“Nat told me to stay patient, I trust her with my life,” Williams said. “I stayed patient.”
Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench.
The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10 seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as much as anybody.
Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2. That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025.
During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and President Jess Smith hugged. And Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day 1.
“Ballhalla!” Lacob hollered.
“These ladies deserve all the credit in the world for the incredible resilience, every last one of them, and our coach,” he said later. “I can't even say how proud I am. I don't care men, women, whatever, it doesn't matter, that is an incredible year, an incredible performance, not only tonight but the whole playoffs.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) reacts after making a 3-point basket against the Atlanta Dream during the second half of the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) reacts following a score during the second half of theWNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Valkyries' mascot Violet lies on the court over fallen confetti following a Golden State championship victory at the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) and forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) reach to hug each other following their championship victory at the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Atlanta Dream guard DeWanna Bonner (24) shoots against Golden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) drives to the basket against Golden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon (00) goes to the basket against Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and forward Naz Hillmon (00) celebrates during the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) blocks a shot by Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) during the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
