Trump V. Wall Street Journal: President Asks For Rupert Murdoch To Be Deposed ASAP In Defamation Case
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House ... More on February 3. The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump filed a motion in federal court asking for an 'expedited deposition' from Murdoch, citing the 94-year-old's age, recent health issues and residence in New York City, which Trump claimed might make it difficult for him to testify at trial in Florida if the case moves forward.
Trump has sued Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over its July 17 article alleging the president sent a 'bawdy' letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday, which included a drawing of a naked woman and Trump telling the late financier, 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.'
The president has vehemently denied ever writing such a letter, and has taken particular issue with Murdoch, alleging the Journal published the article after Trump personally reached out to the media titan and told him the reporting was false.
Murdoch allegedly 'advised President Trump that 'he would take care of it'' after the president reached out about the Journal's reporting, Monday's court filing alleges, but the article was then published anyway, after Murdoch allegedly 'discuss[ed] the propriety of publishing the Article' with others at the Journal and was reportedly involved in the framing of the piece.
Trump asked for the deposition to take place within the next 15 days, but Judge Darrin P. Gayles only asked for Murdoch to respond to Trump's request by Aug. 4, suggesting any deposition will not take place for at least a week.
News Corp has not yet responded to a request for comment.
While Murdoch's deposition may take place sooner, there isn't expected to be much other movement in the Journal case for the next two months, as the court has asked the defendants to respond to Trump's lawsuit by Sept. 22. Legal experts have been broadly skeptical of Trump's defamation arguments, but it remains to be seen if the case will go to trial, or if a judge could dismiss it sooner. If the lawsuit doesn't get thrown out, then Trump and others involved with the case may also be deposed, and legal experts have warned that the fact-finding phase of the lawsuit could backfire on Trump by revealing information about his relationship with Epstein. Crucial Quote
'Because Defendants published the Article after President Trump spoke directly with Murdoch and advised him that the letter referenced in the Article was fake, Murdoch's direct involvement further underscores Defendants' actual malice and intent behind the decision to publish the false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements about President Trump identified in the Complaint,' Trump alleged in the court filing Monday.
Both Trump and Murdoch are billionaires, with Forbes valuing the president and the media mogul's net worths at $5.3 billion and $24 billion as of Monday afternoon, respectively. What Is Trump's Relationship With Rupert Murdoch?
Trump and Murdoch, who also controls Trump-friendly Fox News, have had a mixed relationship over the years. Murdoch was initially skeptical of Trump's first presidential bid, The New York Times notes, but the two went on to have a friendly relationship during the president's first term, reportedly gossiping on the phone together as Fox personalities praised the president and his agenda. Trump soured on Murdoch during the 2020 election, however, blaming him for not stopping Fox News from quickly calling former President Joe Biden's victory in Arizona. Fox News then came under fire for trying to appease Trump by pushing false claims of election fraud—resulting in the network paying a $787.5 million defamation settlement—and the Times reports the two men did not speak for 'a long period.' After initially throwing weight behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' failed presidential bid, Fox News and Murdoch are now back to firmly favoring the president and his agenda, however, with Murdoch appearing at Trump's second inauguration and in the Oval Office with the president in February. But the Journal's reporting on Trump's relationship with Epstein has seemingly soured the two's relationship again, with sources cited by the Times claiming Trump's anger over the Journal's reporting is 'exclusively trained' on Murdoch and the Journal for moving forward with the story after Trump contacted Murdoch. The Journal has continued to report on Trump's relationship with Epstein following the defamation case being brought, and Murdoch has reportedly personally remained defiant against the president, with the Washington Post reporting the media mogul said of Trump's litigation, 'I'm 94 years old and I will not be intimidated.' Further Reading Forbes Why Trump's Epstein Case Against Wall Street Journal Could Backfire On Him By Alison Durkee Forbes Trump Sues Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones Over WSJ Story Linking Him To Jeffrey Epstein By Siladitya Ray
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