A poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein put up near the US Embassy in London. (Photo: AP)A US judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s $ 10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a court filing showed, ruling that the suit was “grasping at straws.”The case was related to the American newspaper’s reporting on the US president’s alleged birthday letter to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Why did Trump sue The Wall Street Journal?Trump had sued the WSJ’s parent company, Dow Jones, and its chief Rupert Murdoch last year after the newspaper’s report on the letter allegedly written by Trump to Epstein which was a part of a birthday book in 2003.HERE IT IS: We got Trump’s birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the President said doesn’t exist.Trump talks about a “wonderful secret” the two of them shared. What is he hiding? Release the files! https://t.co/k2Mq8Hu3LY— Oversight Dems (@OversightDems) September 8, 2025Notably, the letter was written before Epstein was charged with sex crimes, BBC reported. Trump has denied writing the letter that contained obscene language and a drawing representing the outline of a woman’s body. In the letter, Trump talks about a “wonderful secret” which he and Epstein allegedly shared.Court dismisses Trump’s revised $10 billion lawsuitThe suit was earlier dismissed in April, allowing the US president to revise his complaint. On Saturday, the case was dismissed by the court with prejudice, which means the lawsuit cannot be amended or refiled. Trump has said that it was fabricated.“As President Trump has not plausibly alleged that each Defendant made defamatory statements with actual malice, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed. And because this is President Trump’s second attempt to allege his claims, the Court finds that dismissal with prejudice is appropriate,” the ruling stated.Judge cites First Amendment protection for press freedomAccording to Judge Darrin Gayles, the lawsuit by the Trump administration was against the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which protects freedom of the press.The case was earlier dismissed by Judge Gayles when the US President had sought $20 billion in damages. The Republican leader’s team then refiled the case after revising the suit, seeking $10 billion.Story continues below this adTrump team vows to continue legal fightFollowing the judgment, a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said, “President Trump will continue to press forward in his powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants. The President will continue to hold those who mislead the American People with Fake News and smears accountable for their actions,” The Guardian reported.The Express Global Desk at indianexpress.com which delivers authoritative, verified, and context-dri... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram