US President sues Wall Street Journal for $12.8b over report

US President Donald Trump sued The Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Mr. Rupert Murdoch, on July 18, seeking at least US$10 billion (S$12.8 billion) in damages over the newspaper's report that Mr. Trump in 2003 sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday greeting that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared.

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Mr. Trump filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of Florida against Dow Jones, News Corp, Mr. Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters, accusing the defendants of defamation and saying they acted with malicious intent that caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm.

Mr. Trump has vehemently denied the Journal report, which Reuters has not verified, and warned Mr. Murdoch, the founder of News Corp, that he planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp.

"I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!" Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social on the morning of July 18.

Representatives of News Corp and Murdoch could not be reached for comment.

Dow Jones, the Journal's longtime publisher, responded to Mr. Trump's libel suit on July 18, saying it is standing by the story.

"We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," a Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement.

Disgraced financier and sex offender Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019.

The case has generated conspiracy theories that became popular among Mr. Trump's base of supporters, who believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful.