U.S.BBN EVENING NEWS
Judge dismisses Trump's $10 billion suit over Epstein card story
Judge Darrin Gayles ruled the Wall Street Journal did not act with actual malice and let the paper seek legal fees within thirty days; the suit cannot be refiled.
Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger, Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on this story, from BBN Tonight at 6:30 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are NBC News's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance
- First reported by NBC News: “Judge dismisses Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit over Jeffrey Epstein birthday card story”, with reporting from CNN, CBS News and The Source.
- Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 6:30 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Hank Ledger, Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance.
- Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, Trump.
- BBN covered this story before: Judge tosses Trump lawsuit against WSJ, Murdoch over Epstein story (October 31).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- NBC NewsJudge dismisses Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit over Jeffrey Epstein birthday card story
- CNNJudge tosses Trump’s lawsuit against Wall Street Journal again, this time for good October 31, 2026 · facts used on air
- CBS NewsTrump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter dismissed with prejudice - CBS News October 31, 2026 · facts used on air
- The SourceThe Source |Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Tossed With Prejudice Over Epstein Birthday Letter October 31, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorOn this Saturday, October 31: a judge throws out the president's ten billion dollar suit against the Wall Street Journal.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorPolice in Scotland are looking into Prince Andrew's stays at Balmoral. And the Justice Department wants Alaska's Senate ballots separated.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWe begin in Florida, where a federal judge ended a lawsuit over a birthday card. Chip Darnell has the details.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThanks, Hank. Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice, which means President Trump cannot refile it.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe suit said the Journal's story about a birthday card sent to Jeffrey Epstein was defamation.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe judge said Trump came nowhere close to showing actual malice.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorActual malice is the standard for a public figure.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorRight. And the suit argued the Journal should have held the story after Trump denied writing the card. The judge rejected that.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorJudge Gayles wrote that if that were the law, any denial would block journalists from publishing anything negative or contradictory.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo a denial is not a stop sign.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThis was a second try, Hank. The first version was dismissed in April, and the judge let him amend it.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTwo tries.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd the card? The Epstein estate released one matching the Journal's description, and the House Oversight Committee made it public.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe court also lets the Journal seek attorneys' fees within thirty days. Chip Darnell, BBN News, Washington.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThanks, Chip. The Journal has thirty days to send the bill, and I suspect it already has a draft.
More Shorts
All videos →The story so far
- Classified material missing from Epstein files, documents suggest · CBS News
- Trump Won't Back Bolsonaro's Claim, Andrew Probe, Georgia Race · Newsmax
- Police in Scotland launch Andrew and Epstein royal castle… · Al Jazeera
- Police Investigate Former Prince Andrew and Epstein's Balmoral Visits · The New York Times
- Hoffman gives $8M to Wisconsin Democrats as Epstein ads fly · CNBC
- Judge tosses Trump lawsuit against WSJ, Murdoch over Epstein story · Axios
- Judge dismisses Trump's $10 billion suit over Epstein card story (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Saturday, October 31, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months


Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Brett Hodnett · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dmitry Makeev · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Daniel Torok · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Unknown author · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: The Institute of Heraldry · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
