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Judge Darrin Gayles of Florida concluded that Trump failed to sufficiently demonstrate that the article in question was published with “actual malice.”
“The complaint falls significantly short of meeting this requirement,” Gayles remarked.
He highlighted that Trump, along with the Department of Justice and the FBI, had the chance to provide comments for the article, which the former president utilized.
Consequently, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, allowing for the possibility of refiling with necessary amendments.
The lawsuit centered around an article initially published by a prominent New York newspaper, which subsequently gained widespread attention.
The letter was framed by a sketch of what appeared to be a naked woman with Trump’s signature in place of public hair.
The letter was written in the form of a dialogue between “Donald” and “Jeffrey”.
“Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?” Donald says in the script.
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump had denied to the Wall Street Journal that he had written the letter, and insisted that it never existed.
But Congress’s House Oversight Committee later released a copy of the letter.
Gayles gave Trump until April 27 to file an amended lawsuit if he chose to do so.Â
One of Trump’s lawyers said they would do so, describing it as a “powerhouse lawsuit”.
Trump has filed many defamation lawsuits against major media outlets during his second term in office.
Lawsuits against ABC News and the CBS show 60 Minutes were both settled out of court.
But this lawsuit targeting Rupert Murdoch was a striking move from the president.
Trump has a long history with the Australian media mogul’s US publications.
Trump’s rise as a celebrity property developer and then as president may not have happened without the implicit support of Murdoch’s Fox News and the New York Post.
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