President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal has escalated into a personal conflict involving media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
In court filings and on social media, Trump has asserted that he personally warned Murdoch about a racy birthday greeting he supposedly sent to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, claiming it was a fabrication.
Despite Trump’s alerts that the greeting did not exist, Murdoch’s Journal went ahead and published the story, prompting Trump to request that a federal judge in Miami compel Murdoch to answer questions under oath within 15 days.
Trump’s legal team emphasized Murdoch’s advanced age and health issues, suggesting that it may be unlikely for him to testify in person at trial.
“Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares, and is presumed to live in New York, New York,” the filing reads, citing multiple factors that affect Murdoch’s availability.
According to legal experts, the urgency surrounding Murdoch’s deposition request, the only one made by Trump, appears unprecedented and raises questions about the motivations behind it.
Joseph Azam, a former senior vice president and legal executive for Murdoch’s media empire, described the situation as classic Trump maneuvering, indicating that it could be seen as an attempt to exert pressure on Murdoch.
“The way it’s being framed is almost sarcastic,” Azam said.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Trump’s legal team faces an uphill battle, mainly as several of Trump’s past lawsuits against major media entities, including The New York Times and CNN, have not fared well in court.
In the past, Trump’s attorneys have successfully negotiated settlements worth between $10 million and $25 million from media outlets in similar legal disputes that experts deemed weak.
Yet, Trump has yet to witness success in trials, leading to skepticism regarding the potential outcome of his current lawsuit.
Trump and Murdoch have maintained a relationship spanning nearly five decades, initially forged in the vibrant social circles of New York City.
Their alliance has evolved over the last decade, particularly as Trump ventured into politics and gained the presidency, with Murdoch’s media outlets significantly contributing to Trump’s continued name recognition and support base.
This alliance has not been without its challenges, especially in the wake of Murdoch’s media holdings attempting to explore candidates other than Trump for the upcoming 2024 elections and offering critical coverage of his political moves.
In a noteworthy incident from 2023, Murdoch’s Fox News network settled a defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million related to false claims surrounding Trump’s election with Dominion Voting Systems, highlighting the complex dance between Trump and Murdoch’s media empire.
Even as some Murdoch-owned outlets bolster Trump’s image, internal communications have revealed that Murdoch and his executives privately acknowledged Biden’s rightful victory in the 2020 elections while still catering to their audience of Trump supporters.
Trump’s grievances against Murdoch boiled over with the publication of the birthday greeting story about Epstein.
On Truth Social, Trump accused Murdoch of disregarding his warning that the purported letter was a fake, asserting that they had “shouldered the burden” of sharing such news.
“The Wall Street Journal, and Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” he remarked in his post.
He further claimed that both he and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt communicated with the Journal’s editor, Emma Tucker, insisting the story was false, to which she allegedly did not respond adequately.
Despite Trump’s assertions, the Journal has yet to present the greeting that allegedly depicted a doodle of a naked woman paired with Trump’s signature, with Trump’s lawyers insisting that it never existed.
Trump’s original lawsuit alleges the Journal made “false, defamatory, and malignant statements” under Murdoch’s direction, blaming the publication for the ensuing controversy.
Historically, The Wall Street Journal has maintained a rigorous reporting standard, often defending its integrity in court after investigations.
Remarkably, Murdoch allowed the Journal to publish investigative articles revealing the fraudulent practices of the blood-testing startup Theranos, despite his significant financial interest.
Observers speculate that Trump’s approaching deposition with Murdoch carries inherent risks, suggesting Trump may be hesitant to engage in a comprehensive discovery process that could unveil private correspondence and further scrutinize his ties to the controversial Epstein.
Azam noted that Trump seems to be attempting to call a favor from a longtime associate, which could be more effective with lighter news items than with substantial reporting found in the Journal.
As the legal case unfolds, the intricate and often fractious relationship between Trump and Murdoch illustrates the complexities of media influence, personal alliances, and political maneuvering in contemporary America.
image source from：npr
