Trump suggests Wall Street Journal wants to settle defamation suit related to Epstein case

President Donald Trump asserted Tuesday that the Wall Street Journal is interested in reaching a settlement to resolve the defamation lawsuit it filed against him following the publication of an article that, according to his legal team, disseminated false and damaging information related to Jeffrey Epstein.

During a conversation with journalists on board Air Force One, Trump explained that his lawyers are in contact with representatives of the media outlet. "They are talking to us about doing something, but we’ll see what happens. Maybe, they would like us to drop that,” Trump noted, adding that “they want to settle it.

The disputed article

The reason for the lawsuit was an article published by the Wall Street Journal that claimed that in 2003, Trump sent a birthday letter to Epstein, the businessman convicted of sex crimes. According to the media, the letter included a message, a sketch of a naked woman and Trump's signature.

The president denies having written or signed such a letter and calls the article completely false. In the lawsuit filed, his legal team argues that the story caused "overwhelming financial and reputational harm" and demands billions of dollars in compensation.

The newspaper, for its part, has stated in the past that it will defend itself vigorously and that it is confident in the rigor and accuracy of its reporting.

Previous agreements with major media outlets

This is not the first time Trump has achieved legal breakthroughs against media outlets. Recently, CBS agreed to pay him $16 million following a dispute linked to an interview conducted with Kamala Harris on "60 Minutes" during the 2024 presidential campaign. Similarly, late last year, ABC settled for $15 million for coverage deemed defamatory regarding a court verdict involving Trump.