A U.S. federal decide on Monday dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit towards The Wall Avenue Journal, a setback for the U.S. president in his authorized marketing campaign towards media firms he accuses of treating him unfairly.

The case was certainly one of a number of that Trump, a Republican, has filed throughout his presidency towards main media retailers over reporting he has characterised as unfair or false. That has led to concern amongst Democrats and press freedom ​advocates that he’s in search of to make use of defamation circumstances to quell important protection.

Trump’s lawsuit mentioned the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper tarnished his fame with an ‌article describing ‌a birthday card to deceased intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein bearing the U.S. president’s signature. Trump and his attorneys mentioned the cardboard is ​pretend, even after it was launched by lawmakers investigating Epstein’s case.