Former President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, targeting a February 2023 article that detailed his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The lawsuit, filed in Florida, claims the article falsely portrayed Trump as having a close relationship with Epstein and knowingly benefiting from his alleged criminal activities.

Trump's complaint argues that the Journal's reporting was deliberately misleading and malicious, aiming to damage his reputation and inflict financial harm.

He specifically objects to the article's characterization of his relationship with Epstein, alleging it misrepresented the nature and extent of their interactions.

The lawsuit contends the article relied on inaccurate or unsubstantiated claims, presenting a biased and unfair portrayal of his conduct.

The lawsuit doesn't directly address the specifics of the alleged Epstein-Trump connection detailed in the WSJ article, but instead focuses on the alleged defamation stemming from the article's overall narrative and implications.

The $10 billion figure represents a significant claim, reflecting the perceived severity of the alleged reputational damage.

Legal experts note that defamation lawsuits, particularly those involving prominent public figures like Trump, are notoriously difficult to win.

To succeed, Trump would need to prove the Journal acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew the information was false or recklessly disregarded the truth.

This high legal bar often favors news organizations, especially when reporting on matters of public interest.

The Wall Street Journal has not yet issued a formal response to the lawsuit, but is expected to vigorously defend its reporting.

The case is likely to involve extensive pretrial discovery, potentially including depositions and the examination of numerous documents and witnesses.

The outcome will hinge on the court's assessment of the accuracy and fairness of the Journal's reporting and Trump's ability to demonstrate the requisite level of malice.

The litigation promises to be a lengthy and high-profile legal battle.

President Trump on Friday filed a libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's publisher and its leader, Rupert Murdoch, after the paper published a story on what it called a "bawdy" birthday letter to that the paper alleged was signed by Mr. Trump.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida, seeks at least $10 billion in damages. It alleges the paper's claims were "false, defamatory, unsubstantiated, and disparaging," and accuses the Journal of "clear journalistic failures."

The paper claimed the letter, from the early 2000s, featured Mr. Trump's signature as well as a birthday message and a drawing of a nude woman. According to the Journal's report, it was collected in a book along with letters from other friends and acquaintances to mark Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The president has denied the report, calling the letter a "FAKE."

The president has previously acknowledged he crossed paths with years ago, but has said they had a "falling out." 

The suit names the Journal's publisher, Dow Jones & Company, along with its parent company, News Corporation. Also named in the lawsuit as defendants are Wall Street Journal reporters Joseph Palazzolo and Khadeeja Safdar, the bylines on the , as well as Murdoch and Dow Jones CEO Robert Thomson.

In a post, Mr. Trump referred to it as a "POWERHOUSE Lawsuit" and a "historic legal action."

A Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."

Defamation lawsuits face a high bar to success in U.S. courts. Typically, for a public figure to win a defamation suit, they need to demonstrate not only that false claims were made about them, but also that the defendant acted with "," meaning that they knew the claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Facing more , who died in his jail cell in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, Mr. Trump on Thursday Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony related to Epstein. The Justice Department late Friday to unseal that grand jury testimony. 

Epstein was investigated by federal authorities in Florida in the 2000s, which ended in a non-prosecution agreement and a guilty plea on state prostitution charges, and he was later charged with child sex trafficking in Manhattan in 2019. The government also secured a conviction against Epstein's co-conspirator, . It investigated the circumstances of in federal custody, which was deemed a suicide.

The order from Mr. Trump comes after the Justice Department and FBI stating that Epstein did not have an incriminating "client list," did not try to blackmail any prominent figures, and died by suicide. The memo drew backlash from across the political spectrum, including from some fervent Trump backers, in part because Bondi and other administration figures had promised to release information on Epstein.