Donald Trump Files Two Separate $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuits

President Donald Trump is currently engaged in two separate legal battles seeking $10 billion in damages each from media organizations for defamation.

In a hearing on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles expressed skepticism regarding Trump's claims of financial harm in a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch. The suit targets a July 2025 article alleging Trump wrote a "bawdy" letter for a Jeffrey Epstein birthday book. While Trump's attorney, Alejandro Brito, argued the defendants lacked evidence to make definitive statements, the judge questioned the basis of the damages and agreed to stay discovery.

Simultaneously, a trust holding Trump's assets filed an emergency motion with Judge Enjolique A. Lett to pause a court order requiring the disclosure of financial records to the BBC. This stems from a December lawsuit over a 2024 BBC documentary regarding the events of January 6, 2021. Judge Lett previously ruled that because Trump put his businesses' reputation at issue, the BBC is entitled to examine tax returns and asset valuations for approximately 400 companies from 2023 onward. The BBC opposed the motion to pause, calling the request a transparent effort to evade discovery obligations.