Trump calls for prompt examination under oath of Murdoch
In a surprising turn of events, US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The lawsuit stems from the Journal's report that Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy letter in 2003, a claim Trump vehemently denies.
The legal dispute centres around an alleged lewd birthday greeting to Epstein, purportedly signed by Trump. The note is a central point in the ongoing legal dispute, with Trump asserting that it is fake and that he contacted Murdoch before publication to warn him about its falsity. However, Murdoch is alleged to have replied that he “would take care of it”, yet the story was published nonetheless.
Trump's legal team is seeking an expedited deposition from Murdoch, who is 94 years old and in declining health, arguing that Murdoch is a key witness with direct involvement in the editorial decision to publish the allegedly defamatory article. Any delay in obtaining his testimony could jeopardize the case, they claim.
The connection to Jeffrey Epstein comes from the WSJ’s investigation and reporting on Epstein’s ties with Trump. Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker who died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019 at the age of 66, was a prominent figure in American high society. His death and the official autopsy report sparked speculation, with several party videos showing Trump at Epstein's homes forming part of the ongoing speculation.
Despite promising to do so during his campaign, Trump has not released the Epstein files, a point of pressure for him, even from within his own Republican party and among his usual supporters. The Epstein files are not yet released by Trump.
Murdoch's media empire includes the conservative US newspaper "Wall Street Journal". The dispute has put a strain on their relationship, with Trump demanding billions from Murdoch. The lawsuit demands that Murdoch and the WSJ retract the story and issue an apology, and seeks damages for the harm caused to Trump's reputation.
In summary, the nature of Trump’s lawsuit is a defamation suit targeting Murdoch and the WSJ for publishing a story about Trump's alleged relationship to Epstein and a letter Trump denies sending. The lawsuit seeks to hold Murdoch personally accountable for the editorial decisions related to that story, directly linking it to Epstein through the contested content revealed in the "Epstein files". The legal battle is expected to continue in the coming months.
[1] Wall Street Journal, Trump Sues Rupert Murdoch for $10 Billion Over Epstein Story, [URL] [2] CNN, Trump sues Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal for $10 billion over Epstein story, [URL]
- The ongoing legal dispute between US President Donald Trump and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, centering around an alleged lewd letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein, has become intertwined with general news, politics, and pop-culture, causing a stir in entertainment and crime-and-justice circles as well.
- As the lawsuit unfolds, speculation surrounding Trump's relationship with Epstein has escalated, evoking memories of Epstein's ties with American high society and his subsequent death in 2019, which led to a wave of war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice discussions.
- Despite the ongoing legal battle, Trump has yet to release the Epstein files, a point of pressure not only from his political opponents but also from his own Republican party and among his supporters, adding another layer to the ongoing pop-culture and political dialogue.
- The defamation lawsuit against Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal, which stems from the publication of allegedly defamatory articles about Trump's encounter with Epstein, has further complicated the relationship between the two influential figures, potentially impacting general news, politics, and entertainment landscape in the future.