Judge in Trump Murdoch libel case handled lawsuit president dropped against Michael Cohen
Trump voluntarily dropped that $500 million lawsuit against Cohen, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Miami in 2023, shortly after Judge Darrin Gayles scheduled a deposition where Trump would have had to answer questions about his allegations under oath by Cohen's attorney.
The president's filing of the suit against Murdoch sets the stage for Gayles to schedule another deposition for Trump — and for Trump to weigh whether he wants to answer questions under oath from Murdoch's legal team.
Those questions could focus on Trump's past friendship with Epstein and his convicted procurer, Ghislaine Maxwell, and comments such as one Trump made in 2002 to New York magazine about Epstein.
"He's a lot of fun to be with," Trump is quoted saying. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
Gayles was randomly assigned as the judge for Trump's new lawsuit on Monday.
A former federal prosecutor whom then-President Barack Obama nominated to the bench in 2014, Gayles became the first openly gay Black man to serve as a federal judge after the Senate confirmed him in a 98-0 vote.
Cohen told CNBC on Monday that even if Gayles orders Trump to sit for a deposition for his suit against Murdoch, he does not expect history to repeat itself.
In addition to Murdoch, Trump is suing his company News Corp, its CEO Robert Thomson, the Journal's publisher, Dow Jones & Co., and the two reporters who wrote the article that said the president sent Epstein a "bawdy" birthday letter in 2003.
Cohen, who fell out with Trump years ago, said he thinks the president will pursue the case — and that Murdoch will cave.
"I predict Murdoch, et al will settle this matter in the same manner that ABC and CBS did," Cohen said in a text message, referring to recent multi-million-dollar settlements Trump obtained from ABC and the parent company of CBS News after suing those two news organizations.
"Unlike the lawsuit against me, this action has real consequences: such as advertisers pulling away from the newspaper or journalists being denied access to the White House," Cohen said.
But Cohen's own former personal lawyer, Lanny Davis, told CNBC that he thinks Trump will voluntarily withdraw his case against Murdoch and the others after Gayles schedules a deposition for the president.
"If he's smart, even if he has nothing to hide," Trump will not submit to a deposition, Davis predicted. "He doesn't want this story to alienate his base for the next two years."
Trump sued Murdoch and the other defendants on Friday, a day after the Journal reported that a letter sent by Trump for Epstein's 50th birthday was among material reviewed by federal investigators as part of a criminal probe of the notorious sex offender.
Trump has angrily denied writing the letter.
The Journal's story was published as Trump faced growing pressure to have the Justice Department release investigatory files about Epstein, a convicted sex offender who killed himself in 2019 after being arrested on child sex trafficking charges.
Trump had been friends with Epstein for years before the two men had a falling out, long before Epstein's 2019 arrest.
Davis compared filing a defamation case to submitting oneself to an invasive physical examination.
"As a matter of crisis management, what Trump has done is make matters worse with both his base and his critics, which is hard to do," Davis said.
"He's extended the story," Davis said. "If you file a lawsuit, it's the opposite of good crisis management, because you're asking for more drip by drip stories, questioning you under oath."
CNBC has requested comment from Dow Jones, which on Friday showed no sign of backing down from Trump after he filed his lawsuit.
"We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," the publisher said at that time.
Trump, for his part, has suggested it is Murdoch who would have the most to fear from being deposed.
A spokesman for Trump, when asked about comments by Cohen and Davis on Monday, directed CNBC to the president's social media post last Friday.
"I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case," Trump wrote in that Truth Social post.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Investing in Cedar Woods Properties (ASX:CWP) three years ago would have delivered you a 108% gain
By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. Just take a look at Cedar Woods Properties Limited (ASX:CWP), which is up 80%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 22% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 62%, including dividends. Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Cedar Woods Properties was able to grow its EPS at 29% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. This EPS growth is higher than the 22% average annual increase in the share price. So one could reasonably conclude that the market has cooled on the stock. We'd venture the lowish P/E ratio of 11.71 also reflects the negative sentiment around the stock. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We know that Cedar Woods Properties has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Cedar Woods Properties the TSR over the last 3 years was 108%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Cedar Woods Properties shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 62% over one year. And that does include the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 13% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Cedar Woods Properties , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course Cedar Woods Properties may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Fox News
16 minutes ago
- Fox News
'We are bullish about the future because America is back,' says Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., touts the successes of the Trump administration so far this term on 'One Nation.'
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Investing in Cedar Woods Properties (ASX:CWP) three years ago would have delivered you a 108% gain
By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. Just take a look at Cedar Woods Properties Limited (ASX:CWP), which is up 80%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 22% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 62%, including dividends. Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Cedar Woods Properties was able to grow its EPS at 29% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. This EPS growth is higher than the 22% average annual increase in the share price. So one could reasonably conclude that the market has cooled on the stock. We'd venture the lowish P/E ratio of 11.71 also reflects the negative sentiment around the stock. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We know that Cedar Woods Properties has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Cedar Woods Properties the TSR over the last 3 years was 108%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Cedar Woods Properties shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 62% over one year. And that does include the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 13% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Cedar Woods Properties , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course Cedar Woods Properties may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
