Judge Deals Blow to Trump's Defamation Lawsuit Against Major Newspaper. In a significant ruling, a federal judge has dealt a setback to former President Trump's defamation lawsuit against a prominent newspaper. The lawsuit stems from a 2019 article that claimed Trump signed a letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a claim the newspaper stands by. The judge has rejected Trump's argument that the article was published with malicious intent, a crucial hurdle for his defamation claim. The decision is a major victory for press freedom and sets a precedent for future defamation cases involving public figures.
In the order issued Monday, the judge wrote that President Trump had failed to make the argument that the article, which described a letter to Epstein that the newspaper said bore Trump's signature, was published with the intent to be malicious.
