Overview
- U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Miami dismissed the case Monday without prejudice and set an April 27 deadline for an amended complaint.
- Gayles ruled that Trump did not plausibly allege “actual malice,” which requires showing the publisher knew a claim was false or recklessly ignored the truth.
- The judge said Wall Street Journal reporters sought comment before publication and printed Trump’s denial, a step that undercuts a charge of reckless disregard.
- The court did not decide whether the disputed 2003 birthday note is authentic, even after House investigators later released a copy matching the article’s description.
- Trump’s legal team says it will refile by the deadline, setting up a longer fight that could hinge on evidence about the birthday book, the letter’s authorship, and newsroom vetting.