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Story · April 14, 2026

Trump’s WSJ-Epstein defamation complaint was dismissed without prejudice, with leave to amend by April 27

By The Daily Fuckup Newsroom · From the April 14, 2026 edition

Procedural setback in Trump’s Epstein-related defamation suit Confidence 5/5
Courts Immigration
★★★☆☆Fuckup rating 3/5
Major mess Ranked from 1 to 5 stars based on the scale of the screwup and fallout.

Donald Trump’s defamation case over reporting about an alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein ran into a pleading problem on April 13, 2026. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles of the Southern District of Florida dismissed the complaint without prejudice and allowed Trump until April 27 to file an amended version.

That means the case is not over. The court did not decide the dispute on the merits. Instead, it found the current filing did not yet state a viable defamation claim, including the showing needed to support actual malice in a case brought over a public figure.

The lawsuit centers on reporting about a sexually suggestive letter and drawing said to bear Trump’s name in a 2003 birthday album for Epstein. Trump has denied writing the letter and says the reporting is false and defamatory. The judge’s order leaves Trump a narrow path forward if his lawyers can plead the claim with more detail.

For now, the practical result is simple: the original complaint is out, but the deadline that matters next is April 27, 2026. If Trump files an amended complaint, the court will decide whether the revised case can move ahead.

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