Trump's Wall Street Journal lawsuit over Epstein faces timing hurdles

Donald Trump's legal case against the Wall Street Journal over a story about the U.S. president and Jeffrey Epstein could face hurdles, one of which is that it does not appear to comply with Florida state rules over the timing of defamation lawsuits, legal experts said.

If the case proceeds, Trump would need to clear a demanding "actual malice" standard that must be met by public figures to win in U.S. defamation cases. The standard means Trump must prove the paper knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth.

The Wall Street Journal lawsuit is the latest in a series of cases Trump has filed against news outlets, and experts said his demonstrated willingness to sue could have a chilling effect on coverage of his administration even if the suit was ultimately unsuccessful.

Reuters legal correspondent Luc Cohen breaks it down.

#jeffreyepstein #donaldtrump #legal #lawsuit #defamation #unitedstates 

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Post from Reuters on July 22, 2025

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