Overview
- In an October 20 filing in the Southern District of Florida, Trump's lawyers asked the judge to deny the defendants' motion to dismiss and requested oral argument.
- The filing claims the Wall Street Journal did not possess or review the purported letter before publication and portrayed Trump's denial as false, alleging reckless disregard for the truth.
- The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, News Corp, and Rupert Murdoch continue to seek dismissal, arguing the reporting was substantially true, supported by Epstein estate materials and protected by the First Amendment and anti-SLAPP principles.
- House Oversight released a copy of the birthday-book page in September, which Trump's counsel says does not prove authorship or that the Journal had the document before publishing.
- No hearing date or ruling has been set, and CNBC reports Trump hosted Murdoch and News Corp executives for dinner at the White House last week despite the lawsuit.