A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by journalist Michael Wolff against First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday, calling it a “contorted” attempt and clearing the path for Trump’s planned $1 billion defamation claim against the author.
Manhattan Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, an appointee of President Donald Trump, rejected Wolff’s case and declined to exercise federal jurisdiction, sending the matter back to state court. “It’s an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship,” Vyskocil said from the bench.
What Happened
Last year, the first lady’s lawyer issued Wolff a letter demanding he delete statements he made about Trump and threatening that she would have “no alternative” but to sue him if he did not comply. That letter prompted Wolff to sue Trump in state court in October, seeking to preempt her defamation action.
Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, had the complaint moved to federal court. Judge Vyskocil found that while federal court did have jurisdiction, she was declining to exercise it. “I will not be drafted to oversee an abusively presented spat,” she said, yet she recognized that both sides have a “real dispute.” She dismissed the case “to be litigated like any other.”
The Reaction
A Melania Trump spokesperson said that the first lady “is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.”
The 56-year-old’s legal team had previously claimed that Wolff’s statements caused Trump “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” The first lady has denied any association with Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of child sex trafficking.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Trump said in an April press conference. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
What This Means
Wolff had argued in his lawsuit that the president and first lady “have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them” with costly legal actions “to silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean-style confessions and apologies.” He maintained that some of his statements were taken out of context and were protected speech, including a reference to the Trumps having a “sham marriage, trophy marriage,” which he characterized as “fair and justified” opinion.
Wolff also stated in his lawsuit that he never accused the first lady of being involved with criminal activity associated with Epstein. The Daily Beast retracted an article last summer titled “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author,” which was based on an interview with Wolff, after the outlet received a letter from Brito. In that interview, Wolff said he reported that the first lady was “behind the scenes” dealing with the situation at the White House, but was not involved criminally.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace praised Melania Trump at the time for coming out against Epstein. “Melania Trump stands with Epstein victims,” Mace said, citing the first lady’s advocacy for legislation addressing the distribution of fake intimate images. “The truth will prevail.”
Democratic lawmakers also responded. Rep. Robert Garcia called for a public hearing, writing, “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing. We encourage Chairman Comer to schedule a hearing immediately.” Garcia said the remarks renewed attention on the broader investigation.
In her remarks, Melania Trump called on Congress to take action. “Now is the time for Congress to act,” she said, urging lawmakers to allow victims to testify under oath.
