Judge Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against WSJ

A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's renewed $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and ruled that it cannot be filed again, Bloomberg News reported. The ruling marks another setback for the president in his legal fights with the press, according to Bloomberg.

What did the judge rule?

The dismissal was entered with prejudice, Bloomberg reported, which means Trump cannot bring the same claims against the Journal again in that court. The decision closes out a suit that sought $10 billion in damages from the newspaper.

"A federal judge threw out Donald Trump's renewed $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and ruled that it can't be filed again." — Bloomberg News

What prompted the $10 billion claim?

Bloomberg's report describes the case as a "renewed" lawsuit, indicating Trump revived the claim after an earlier version of the suit did not succeed. The dispatch does not specify which Journal article or reporting triggered the litigation, and no additional court filings were made available alongside the report.

What does "dismissal with prejudice" mean here?

In federal civil practice, a dismissal with prejudice generally bars a plaintiff from refiling identical claims in the same court. It does not automatically prevent an appeal to a higher court, though Bloomberg's report does not say whether Trump's legal team plans to pursue one. The distinction matters for Trump, since a dismissal without prejudice would have left the door open to file the suit again with amended claims.

How does this fit Trump's other fights with news organizations?

Bloomberg characterizes the ruling as "another setback for the president's legal fights with the press," language that points to a pattern of litigation against media outlets beyond this single case. The report does not detail the outcomes of those other disputes, so the full scope of Trump's media litigation record outside this ruling is not addressed in the available reporting.

What's next for Trump and the Journal?

Bloomberg's report does not include a response from the Wall Street Journal or its parent, Dow Jones & Company, following the dismissal. It also does not state whether Trump intends to appeal. Readers should expect further reporting on any appeal filing or public statement from either side.

By the numbers

• $10 billion — amount Trump sought in damages from the Journal, per Bloomberg
• Oct. 31, 2026 — date of Bloomberg's report on the dismissal

Glossary

• Dismissal with prejudice: A court ruling that permanently ends a case, barring the plaintiff from refiling the same claims in that court.
• Defamation: A legal claim alleging a false statement caused reputational harm; public figures such as Trump generally must show the statement was made with "actual malice" under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

This report is based solely on Bloomberg's Oct. 31, 2026, dispatch. HTT News will update this story as additional court documents or statements from the parties become available.