President Donald Trump has filed an amended complaint in his defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, aiming to demonstrate that the publication acted with actual malice when it reported on a birthday letter he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. The original complaint was dismissed by Judge Darrin P. Gayles of the Southern District of Florida, who stated that Trump did not adequately show actual malice in his claims.
In the revised lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, Trump's legal team includes over four pages outlining reasons why they believe the reporters acted with actual malice, particularly noting omitted details regarding how the letter was obtained and verified. The Wall Street Journal reported that the letter was part of a collection compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday, prior to his first arrest on sex crime charges. Trump's lawyers have pointed out that the publication did not include Maxwell's perspective in their reporting.
The Wall Street Journal stated that Maxwell did not respond to their request for an interview, and her lawyer indicated that she is currently focused on her legal case before the Supreme Court. Trump is seeking at least $10 billion in damages from the defendants, asserting that he severed ties with Epstein years before Epstein's initial arrest.