In a twist, Donald Trump likely didn’t anticipate, his lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal will be overseen by a groundbreaking figure in American law — U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles. Gayles, the first out gay Black man to be appointed to the federal bench, will preside over the president’s defamation suit targeting The Wall Street Journal, News Corp, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
The lawsuit stems from a WSJ report that Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein a sexually explicit birthday card back in 2003. Born of bipartisan respect, Judge Gayles is a Howard and George Washington University Law School graduate, appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed unanimously in 2014. Notably, he previously served under two Republican governors — Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist — in Florida’s state courts. This isn’t his first Trump-related case.
In 2023, Gayles handled Trump’s $500 million lawsuit against former lawyer Michael Cohen. That case was abruptly dropped by Trump just before he was set to be deposed. Trump’s current suit, filed in southern Florida, seeks over $20 billion in damages — and many believe he filed there hoping to draw Judge Aileen Cannon, a previous Trump appointee. But now the case is with Judge Gayles, who’s known for his firm yet fair hand. As for the report in question? The Wall Street Journal claims Trump’s note to Epstein featured a drawing of a nude woman with his signature mimicking pubic hair and cryptic lines like:
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has denied it all, calling the story “fake,” “defamatory,” and a “hoax.”
