U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal following its report on the existence of a lewd birthday letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, lodged in July, accuses the Journal, its parent company News Corp, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and several journalists of publishing a false and malicious account designed to damage Trump’s reputation.

Trump, 79, has described the story as “fake” and politically motivated.

The controversy stems from a July article in which the Journal reported that Epstein’s “birthday book” contained a page signed “Donald,” accompanied by a crude sketch of a naked woman and a suggestive message.

The paper said handwriting and stylistic similarities raised questions about Trump’s authorship, though it stopped short of definitive attribution.

On Monday, a U.S. House committee released the complete album and an image of the disputed page, confirming the description first published by the Journal.

The release prompted fresh denials from Trump’s team, with aides insisting the signature does not match his handwriting.

Despite these denials, the Journal has stood by its reporting. Politico reported that the White House has issued new statements rejecting the material, while Reuters noted that Trump has asked a court to compel a swift deposition of Rupert Murdoch, arguing that Murdoch previously assured him the story would be suppressed.

The lawsuit has drawn wide attention, in part because it pits Trump against one of the most influential conservative-leaning outlets in the United States.

The Washington Post observed that the case signals a shift in Trump’s approach to the press, taking aim even at a media empire historically aligned with Republican politics.

Analysts say the outcome could set a major precedent for defamation law in the United States, testing whether Trump can prove “actual malice” the legal standard requiring evidence that the Journal knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

The case adds to the former president’s growing docket of legal battles, ranging from criminal trials to civil suits, even as he presses forward with his political ambitions.