Trump sues Wall Street Journal for $20 billion over Epstein letter
Photo: Trump files a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a report about his greeting of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein more than 20 years ago, CNN reports.
Trump accused the editorial board of fabrication and demanded at least $20 billion in damages.
The American leader specifically accused the paper of "glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting." The lawsuit states that the newspaper did not publish a photo or letter allegedly written by the president, according to the journalists.
"The reason for those failures is that no authentic letter or drawing exists," Trump's lawyer said in the complaint, filed in a Miami court.
Background
The newspaper published an article claiming that Trump sent a greeting to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday. Epstein was accused of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking for sexual exploitation. The greeting allegedly hinted at shared secrets.
According to the report, the letter from the American leader was obscene. It consisted of several lines of typed text surrounded by an outline of a naked woman.
Trump threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal
The president categorically denied writing the letter to the convicted sex offender financier. He accused the newspaper of defamation and promised to sue it and its executives.
"It (The Wall Street Journal -ed.) has truly turned out to be a 'Disgusting and Filthy Rag' and, writing defamatory lies like this, shows their desperation to remain relevant," the president wrote in a post.
