WATCH: Trump Applauds WSJ Reporters For Winning An Award for Trump-Epstein Letter Story

President Donald Trump applauded Wall Street Journal reporters after they received a WHCA award for their reporting on an alleged letter to Jeffrey Epstein, despite suing the newspaper over the story.

President Donald Trump applauded Wall Street Journal reporters after they received the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability for their investigative report on an alleged birthday letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s name.

The moment came during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, where Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks months after the annual event was disrupted by an armed man who allegedly breached security near the original venue.

The award recognized the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on a collection of letters prepared for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. According to the newspaper, one of the letters bore Trump’s name and included the outline of a naked woman.

Trump has denied writing the letter and has refiled a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal’s publisher, Dow Jones, and two of its reporters over the July 2025 story. The lawsuit claims the report contained “glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting.”

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the president “will continue to hold those who mislead the American People with Fake News and smears accountable for their actions.”

Trump’s earlier lawsuit was dismissed after a federal judge ruled that he failed to plausibly allege the newspaper acted with “actual malice” in publishing the story.

In the new filing, Trump’s legal team argues that the reporters falsely presented as fact that he “wrote, drew, and signed” the letter in 2003 without providing proof. Dow Jones has previously said it has full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of the Journal’s reporting and will vigorously defend against the lawsuit.

Since returning to office, Trump has filed legal actions against several media organizations, including a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.

Trump has also remained under scrutiny over his past ties to Epstein, while his administration has faced continued criticism over its handling of the release of Justice Department files related to the late convicted sex offender.

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