Trump refiles defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal citing Maxwell interview

President Donald Trump has refiled his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal in federal court in Miami. The lawsuit targets a 2025 Wall Street Journal article claiming a lewd birthday letter, allegedly authored by Trump, was included in a 2003 album Ghislaine Maxwell compiled for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday. Trump's amended complaint references a July 2025 interview with Maxwell conducted by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was then Deputy Attorney General. The interview, conducted under limited immunity, included Maxwell stating she did not remember Trump submitting any letter or note. Trump's legal team argues that Maxwell's lack of recollection undermines the Journal's reporting and that the newspaper published without producing the letter itself. The original lawsuit was dismissed in April by U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles, citing failure to meet the actual malice standard required in defamation cases involving public figures. Dow Jones, the Journal's parent company, has pledged to vigorously defend the reporting, affirming its accuracy and journalistic rigor. The amended filing seeks to meet legal standards by emphasizing Maxwell's statements and Trump's denials.