Recently, Rupert Murdoch’s team, along with other defendants in Trump v. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., hit back at Donald Trump, saying his latest court filing introduces a misleading point they labeled a “red herring.” This controversy comes as part of a defamation lawsuit relating to reports on a letter associated with Jeffrey Epstein in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
(newsweek.com contacted the legal teams of both parties for comments but received no response during the weekend hours.)
Why This Case Matters
The key issue stemming from Trump’s recent filings revolves around a dispute as to whether the court should acknowledge a letter carrying Trump’s name. This letter was located among Epstein’s documents and later released by Congress.
The implications of this decision are significant for Trump’s defamation claims against The Wall Street Journal. Should the judge determine the letter is a proper public record, it might bolster the defendants’ position regarding the accuracy and legality of their reporting. On the flip side, if the judge dismisses the letter’s authenticity, it would give more weight to Trump’s assertion that the publication relied on unverifiable or fabricated information.
Key Updates
Legal Teams Demand Recognition of Epstein Documents
On November 5, 2025, Murdoch’s attorneys submitted a reply requesting U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles to recognize certain documents that they argue are publicly accessible and essential to Trump’s case.
Among these are the “Birthday Book,” a collection of letters prepared for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, including one letter that supposedly contains Trump’s name and signature.
For context, Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier whose criminal history as a convicted sex offender ended in 2019 when he died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking.
Trump contends that The Wall Street Journal libeled him by covering an article that referenced a letter supposedly by him to Epstein, which allegedly included fictional dialogue and inappropriate sketches.
The former president claims there’s no actual evidence the letter exists and accuses the publication of misrepresenting his connection to Epstein.
Trump Labels the Letter as Irrelevant
In response, Trump’s dissenting brief concludes that there is an ongoing “reasonable dispute” over whether the letter bearing his name matches what has allegedly been discussed by a Wall Street Journal reporter. The court documents state this serves as a distraction.
“This is a red herring,” the defense team argues, stating that they seek to have the court recognize the existence of a book created for Epstein’s milestone birthday, which contained a letter attributed to President Trump featuring fictional conversations and inappropriate artwork.
Filed by attorneys from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Dechert LLP, and Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A., the motion insists that these documents are integral to Trump’s filings.
They suggest that Trump’s unsubstantiated claim of the letter being “nonexistent” does not vacate its relevance to the case at hand.
The Birthday Book and the associated letter were collected by the Epstein estate and later provided to the House Oversight Committee, reflecting their legal standing in public records.
The defendants maintain that these public records qualify for judicial assessment, aligning their argument with established legal precedents.
The opposition from Trump’s lawyers, however, underscores that the authenticity of the alleged letter is still at issue, disputing that it should be included under judicial notice.
Upcoming Decisions
The next phase of Trump v. Dow Jones & Company will see Judge Darrin P. Gayles assess whether or not to accept the Epstein “Birthday Book” and the related letter containing Trump’s name.
This ruling is bound to dictate the trajectory of Trump’s defamation action—if the documents are deemed credible by the court, they would strengthen the defendants’ classification of their article as legitimate and lawful; however, if dismissed, it may open doors for Trump’s claims and potential trial movement.
Around the Horn
As noted by Donald Trump on July 19 in a statement reported by The Washington Post, he insisted, “The Wall Street Journal published a FAKE letter which is not a true reflection of my words or speech. I don’t even make doodles!”
Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch remarked on September 23 (according to Business Standard), highlighting how this baseless lawsuit threatens to discourage free speech among those who venture to publish disputes with presidential opinions.
