Trump and Murdoch clash again — and it could get messy
As well as entertaining members of his cabinet, including Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and Sean Duffy, a jubilant Mr Trump had invited another important guest: Rupert Murdoch.
Just four days later, this jovial afternoon would be a distant memory.
Following the Wall Street Journal's explosive report alleging the US president sent a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday, the relationship between two of the world's most powerful men would plummet.
It is a fight that has the potential to become messy – and quickly.
In one corner of the ring stands Mr Trump, who is suing the WSJ and threatening to drag the 94-year-old Mr Murdoch into court to testify.
Should their relationship sour further, Mr Trump could, as president, unleash the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government regulator, on Mr Murdoch's media empire.
Mr Murdoch's publications, including the New York Post and Fox News, have largely been sympathetic to Mr Trump. While the US president frequently lambasts the 'fake news' media, he still cares deeply about what it reports on him.
The US president said he 'personally' called Mr Murdoch to have the Wall Street Journal story spiked and was assured by the mogul that he would 'take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so'.
Mr Trump scolded Mr Murdoch in a flurry of social media posts in which he claimed the letter was 'fake' and threatened to sue the paper over the story.
'I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ,' Mr Trump wrote in one Truth Social post. 'That will be an interesting experience!!!'
Mr Trump filed the libel lawsuit late on Friday night.
The fallout is the latest gear change in the pair's hot and cold relationship which spans more than 50 years.
Mr Murdoch and Mr Trump's friendship has been punctuated by disagreements since they were introduced by Roy Cohn, the famed Manhattan lawyer, in New York in the 1970s.
For decades Mr Murdoch's papers published stories about Mr Trump, from when he was a celebrity real-estate tycoon to when he was elected US president for a second time.
While the New York Post did not endorse him for president during the 2016 election, Mr Murdoch had a close relationship with Mr Trump during his first term, with the men reportedly speaking every week.
At an event in New York in 2017 to mark a Second World War battle in which the US fought with Australia, Mr Murdoch welcomed his 'friend' Mr Trump on stage.
The pair hugged as they traded places in front of the podium.
'Thank you to my very good friend Rupert Murdoch – there's only one Rupert that we know,' Mr Trump said.
But the relationship frosted over after the Fox News defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, which revealed Mr Murdoch had told a colleague following the January 6 insurrection 'we want to make Trump a non person'.
In 2023 Fox reached a $787.5m settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over accusations that the news network knowingly broadcast false claims that the firm's technology was used to rig the 2020 election.
The 11th-hour-settlement came as the two sides prepared to go to court, sparing Mr Murdoch of a potentially embarrassing trial that could have seen the media mogul testify.
In 2023 Mr Trump claimed Fox News and the WSJ 'fight me because Murdoch is a globalist'.
While some media bosses have appeared to bow to Mr Trump during his second term, including Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, Mr Murdoch has not fully acquiesced.
The New York Post has been largely sympathetic in its coverage of Mr Trump's second term, running front pages about Mr Trump bringing in the 'Golden Age of America'.
Meanwhile, Fox News has run several interviews with Mr Trump and administration officials and the network hired Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife, to host a show on the network.
But the WSJ has run several critical op-eds about Mr Trump.
When Mr Murdoch joined Mr Trump in the Oval Office in February, the US president fawned over him, describing him as 'an amazing guy'.
After a reporter asked him about an editorial in the WSJ criticising Mr Trump's trade proposals, the president responded saying he would 'talk' to Mr Murdoch.
Amid the threat of a legal showdown, the time for talking might be over.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a minute ago
- The Independent
DOJ officials to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell on Epstein case to ask ‘what do you know?'
The Justice Department plans to reach out to Ghislaine Maxwell, socialite and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, to see she has additional information about the highly scrutinized case. 'Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi 's direction, I've contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Tuesday.
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
American Idol exec and husband were murdered with their own gun...with suspect then calling cops on himself
An American Idol executive and her husband were murdered at their Los Angeles mansion with their own gun by a killer who called 911 himself, it is claimed. Robin Kaye, a longtime music supervisor on the hit singing competition show, and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found dead in their $5 million gated home in the Encino neighborhood on July 14. Raymond Boodarian, an Encino resident, was arrested 'without incident' the next day after having provided police with key information about his identity. Investigators believe Boodarian, 22, was burglarizing the residence July 10 while the couple was away and shot them when they suddenly returned. But the DA revealed during a town hall meeting Monday night that he shot the couple dead with their own firearm, KABC reports. He then used his personal cellphone to call police after the incident and even provided authorities with his name, which ultimately led to him being tracked down. Boodraian was charged with two counts of murder Thursday, and also faces burglary charges. His arraignment is scheduled for August 20. The suspect has at least three prior arrests including charges of battery, threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize, and exhibiting a deadly weapon. Fingerprints from his prior arrests also helped investigators identify him as a suspect in the grisly slayings of Kaye and Deluca. The couple were killed in their $5 million Los Angeles mansion on July 10, four days before their bodies were discovered. It is unclear if Boodarian's alleged 911 call was made on July 6, the day he allegedly killed Kaye and DeLuca. Boodarian had already been inside the couple's home for about 30 minutes on July 10 when Kaye and Deluca unexpectedly arrived home. CCTV footage obtained by investigators allegedly shows Boodarian entering the home in an attempted burglary. He did not force entry and instead found an open way to get inside. He allegedly shot them both dead during a struggle when they caught him in the act. Two calls were made to the LAPD about a possible burglary on the day of the couple's deaths, according to a felony complaint. But when officers responded to the residence they were unable to get inside the couple's home, which is a high-security property with an 8-foot spiked wall and surveillance cameras. Cops circled the perimeter and had a helicopter swoop over the property, but were unable to gain access via the ground. Officers saw no visible signs of forced entry and a helicopter which flew overhead did not alert officers to any dangers, so they left the scene. They returned to the six-bedroom estate four days later at 2.30pm following a call for a welfare check, shattering a back window to gain access to the home. When they entered, they discovered Kaye and Deluca both shot in the head. He then used his personal cellphone to call police after the incident and even provided authorities with his name, which ultimately led to him being tracked down Police sources told People last week that Boodarian may have been inside the property on July 10 when officers first responded to the home, close to the bodies of the eldery couple he's now accused of murdering. While cops were unable to access the property during the callout, Boodarian is believed to have entered through a single unlocked door while his alleged victims were out grocery shopping. It is unclear if he pulled the door shut behind him, but he is then said to have lain in wait inside until they returned. Boodarian could not be reached for comment. Messages were sent to the public defender's office inquiring if one of its attorneys was representing him. Kaye was with 'American Idol,' the hit singing competition TV series, for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season at the time of her death. Over the years, she won several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show. She also worked for other well-known shows, including Lip Sync Battle, Hollywood Game Night, and Worn Stories. Kaye worked for the NAACP Image Awards, The Singing Bee, Miss USA, Miss Universe, American Inventor, The Dance Scene, Dance Your A** Off, Your Chance to Dance and Adventures of Power and Crashed. During the 7th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards in Hollywood in 2017, Kaye spoke about her career path, which she said was often unappreciated. 'It's one of those parts of the business that people don't even know it exists,' Kaye said. 'It's a very important part of films and TV. Pretty much everything in the entertainment industry has music in it and people just think that it's there.' Her husband was a musician who last released an album called Street Rock in 2022. His first 'acclaimed cult favorite debut' album. 'Down To The Wire,' was released by Epic Records in 1986, Deluca's website detailed. Deluca penned songs for popular hit makers, including Kid Rock, the band Molly Hatchet and Meredith Brooks. The couple purchased the home in January 2023, according to public records. It was previously owned by late rapper Juice WRLD who died in 2019 from an overdose, neighbors told KTLA. The home was also reportedly used a rental property before being sold to the couple.
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bryan Kohberger's eerie first words to cops after his parents were zip-tied as he was arrested
It was the middle of the night when armed officers stormed the quiet Pennsylvania home of Bryan Kohberger, the criminology student who pled guilty to killing four University of Idaho students in one of the most chilling murder cases in recent memory. Now, shocking new details about the night of his arrest have come to light in the Daily Mail's new podcast On the Case: The Idaho Murders, hosted by Investigative Reporter Laura Collins. In the first episode of the new mini-series released today, Collins and Pulitzer nominated author Howard Blum – whose bestselling book explores the case in depth – reveal the extraordinary lengths authorities went to when finally cornering their suspect. According to Blum, law enforcement launched a high-stakes midnight operation with helicopters, SWAT teams, and snipers trained on the Kohberger family home. And it wasn't just Bryan they were after. As the officers burst in, they didn't know what—or who—they might encounter. Listen to On The Case: The Idaho Murders wherever you get your podcasts now. Subscribe to The Crime Desk, Daily Mail's podcast network for ad-free listening, plus hours of exclusive True Crime content, including the No.1 True Crime podcast, The Trial In a moment that stunned even seasoned investigators, Kohberger's elderly parents were restrained with zip ties as their son was dragged from the house and placed into custody. But it was what Kohberger said next that left officers rattled. 'Was anyone else arrested?' he reportedly asked, moments after being cuffed and bundled into a police vehicle. Was he buying time? Spinning a final psychological game? Or hinting that someone else was involved? And if that wasn't chilling enough, the next thing out of his mouth was a self-assured, casual offer to grab a coffee sometime—with none other than the officer who'd just helped arrest him. It's just one of the many disturbing moments unpacked in this gripping new episode of On the Case: The Idaho Murders, which dives deep into the seven-week hunt for Kohberger, the forensic twist that led to his capture, and the secrets still buried beneath the surface of this headline-grabbing case. What really happened in the hours before his arrest? Why did police fear he might flee—or strike again? And what does his bizarre behaviour reveal about his state of mind?
