Trump Delays Murdoch Deposition amid Pending Dismissal Hearing for Libel Case against Wall Street Journal
In the ongoing defamation case against President Donald Trump and the Wall Street Journal, the former US leader is actively pursuing legal action against the newspaper, its owner Rupert Murdoch, publisher Dow Jones & Co., and two reporters.
The lawsuit stems from an article published by the Wall Street Journal, which alleges that Trump sent a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump has vehemently denied authoring the letter, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory." In a statement on his Truth Social account, he called the article a "FAKE" letter and not written in his style.
The attempt to compel Rupert Murdoch's testimony in the case has been paused, although the exact reasons for this pause are not fully documented. Such pauses can occur due to various reasons, such as legal strategy considerations, court rulings on relevance or burden, or ongoing settlement discussions.
In a recent development, it has been revealed that Murdoch must provide a sworn declaration describing his current health condition within three days and share regularly scheduled updates on his health thereafter. The deposition will take place in person at a mutually agreed-upon location in the United States.
Both sides in the case have agreed to a deal that involves no discovery until Murdoch's dismissal motion is heard. Trump's attorneys allege that Murdoch advised Trump that "he would take care of it" after Trump disputed the story, but the outlet still published the piece. The filing cites reports that Murdoch claimed "to others that he had direct involvement in the framing of the Article."
Trump's defamation suit against Murdoch, the Journal's publisher, Dow Jones, and the two reporters who wrote the story seeks $10 billion in damages. The deal will be presented to the Southern District of Florida federal court for approval.
As the case continues, it remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold and whether Rupert Murdoch will be required to testify. This is a developing story and more updates will be provided as information becomes available.
[1] Source: Various news outlets, as of late July 2025.
- Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, continues to progress, with the focus on Murdoch's health and potential testimony.
- The ongoing legal battle between Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, intertwined with the defamation case against the Wall Street Journal, involves claims of direct involvement in framing the article by Murdoch.
- Besides entertainment and celebrity news, general news platforms like the Wall Street Journal, News Corp, and their respective heads, including Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, are also embroiled in policy-and-legislation and politics-related controversies.
