A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, ruling against the former and current president's claim that the outlet defamed him with its reporting on an alleged letter linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. The dismissal removes one of the largest defamation suits ever filed against a major American news organization.

Trump had sued the Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, over a story that reported on a letter purportedly written by Trump and connected to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump's legal team argued the reporting was false and damaging to his reputation, seeking $10 billion in damages.

The federal judge's ruling found the lawsuit did not meet the legal threshold required to proceed, effectively throwing out the case before it could go to trial. The dismissal is a significant legal victory for the Wall Street Journal and press freedom advocates who had closely monitored the suit as a potential test of defamation standards for reporting on public figures.

The case drew widespread attention given the scale of the damages sought and the identity of the plaintiff. Legal analysts had noted that public figures face a high bar under U.S. defamation law, requiring proof of actual malice — that a publication knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The Daily Wire noted the ruling raises questions about what legal avenues, if any, remain for Trump to pursue the matter further.

The Wall Street Journal has not yet issued a public statement following the ruling. The dismissal comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and major media organizations, with the president having pursued or threatened legal action against several outlets during his political career.