Latest news with #lewdletter
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump and Murdoch clash again — and it could get messy
It was Sunday afternoon, the sun was shining, and Donald Trump had gathered a collection of his allies in his luxury suite to watch the Fifa Club World Cup final. 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.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump threatens to sue WSJ over ‘bawdy letter to Epstein'
US President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp., and media mogul Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper claimed that he authored a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. The alleged letter was reportedly part of a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 and included a crude drawing of a nude woman, according to an exclusive report the Journal published on Thursday. 'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' the report described, without explaining how the outlet obtained what it claimed was a previously unreleased Department of Justice file. The paper acknowledged that Trump strongly denied the allegation, but went ahead with publication. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women… It's not my language. It's not my words,' the Journal quoted him as saying. Several hours after the story broke, Trump accused Murdoch and WSJ Editor Emma Tucker of deliberately spreading 'defamatory lies.' 'The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter… was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. He described the 'once great' paper as a 'disgusting and filthy rag' that was desperately trying to 'stay relevant.' Trump vowed to sue the WSJ, News Corp., and Murdoch 'shortly,' citing his history of successful lawsuits against major media outlets. Epstein was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He allegedly hanged himself in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long been the subject of public skepticism. Earlier this week, Trump responded to growing criticism over his administration's handling of the Epstein case, claiming that only 'stupid people' still demand access to the sex offender's alleged 'client list.'
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump threatens to sue WSJ over ‘lewd letter' to Epstein
President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp., and media mogul Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper claimed that he authored a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. The alleged letter was reportedly part of a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 and included a crude drawing of a nude woman, according to the Journal's exclusive report on Thursday. 'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' the report described, without explaining how the outlet obtained what it claimed was a previously unreleased Department of Justice file. The paper acknowledged that Trump strongly denied the allegation, but went ahead with publication. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women… It's not my language. It's not my words,' the Journal quoted Trump as saying. Several hours after the story broke, Trump accused Murdoch and WSJ Editor Emma Tucker of deliberately spreading 'defamatory lies.' 'The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter… was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. He described the 'once great' paper as a 'disgusting and filthy rag' that was desperately trying to 'stay relevant.' Trump vowed to sue the WSJ, News Corp., and Murdoch 'shortly,' citing his history of successful lawsuits against major media outlets. Epstein was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He allegedly hanged himself in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long been the subject of public skepticism. Earlier this week, Trump responded to growing criticism over his administration's handling of the Epstein case, claiming that only 'stupid people' still demand access to the sex offender's alleged 'client list.'
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
McClaren Racing CEO Zak Brown reveals that he owns $242,788 Mickey Mantle ‘lewd' document
McClaren Racing CEO Zak Brown revealed himself to be the owner of perhaps the most vulgar piece of sports memorabilia of all time during a recent podcast appearance. When asked about his most precious collectibles on MLB's 6-1-1 Podcast hosted by former Philadelphia Phillies teammates Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard this week, the leader of Formula 1's top team shared that he has a 1972 document written by Mickey Mantle in which the hall of famer details a sex act he claims to have been a part of at Yankee Stadium in response to a prompt asking for his 'most outstanding experience' at the ballpark. Mantle signed the document with his name and the inscription 'The All-American Boy.' It was sold at auction for $242,788.80 by Leland's in December 2022 (images of the NSFW document can be seen on Leland's website), but as is standard practice, the buyer's identity was not revealed at the time. Advertisement 'Probably the most unique is, I don't know if you guys ever remember the Mickey Mantle 'lewd' letter. And if not, you gotta Google it. This is beyond rated R,' Brown told Rollins and Howard. 'It wouldn't happen today, but Mickey Mantle could pull it off. It's a bit of a legendary letter … I bought that for my collection.' Marty Appel, a Yankees executive at the time the document was written, told Leland's at the time of the auction how the document came to be. 'I was the Yankees Assistant PR Director then, with Bob Fishel my boss,' Appel told the auction house. 'We wrote to many ex-Yankees for a 1973 50th anniversary Yearbook feature on 'greatest memory.' That is my handwriting on 'Dear Mickey' and 'Bob Fishel.' Mick's response is indeed his, in his handwriting, but it was meant to shock the very straight-laced Bob Fishel on whom he was always playing practical jokes. The item is authentic, but the intent was bawdy humor, not depiction of a real event. I called Mick when I received it and said, 'We're going with the Barney Schultz home run in 1964' and he laughed and said 'Of course.' I held the letter for decades (never showed Bob Fishel), finally gave it to Barry Halper, and from there it slipped off to others over time.' Brown's Mantle fandom goes back to childhood, when he had a direct encounter with the then retired player and his colorful use of language. 'I've actually got the best story ever on baseball,' Brown told George Brett's Golf Underground podcast. 'I was a big Mickey Mantle fan. So I find out he plays golf at Preston Trail Country Club, which is kind of like the start of my sales career, I'm 13 years old. So I call in every day and say, 'Is Mickey Mantle in? Is Mickey Mantle in? Is Mickey Mantle in?' Two weeks go by and they go, 'Hold on.' And I have no appreciation for golf, no idea he's on the golf course. Fifteen minutes, he comes back, picks up the phone, and I go, 'Is this Mickey Mantle?' and he starts swearing at me and hangs up the phone. He thought it was a prank call. I go in my room, I'm crying. Mickey Mantle just called me every name in the book. I tell my mom what happened, she calls him back, says, 'You just cussed out my kid' and he felt terrible and said, 'Come to Dallas, I'll spend half a day with your kid.' I got on a plane three days later, spent half a day with Mickey Mantle at the Hilton in Dallas, Texas when I was 13 years old. So I was one of those stalker fans.' Advertisement His sizable baseball memorabilia collection goes beyond Mantle items, though. 'I guess the most unique — I mean, put aside jerseys, because I've got, and it's all game-used stuff, I've got (Ted) Williams, Mantle, (Willie) Mays, (Hank) Aaron,' he told the 6-1-1 show. 'So that stuff's amazing, but probably the most unique is, I've got Pete Rose's rookie trophy, which I think is pretty cool. When he had his issues, he sold everything, so his 1963 Rookie of the Year trophy, I've got. Albert Pujols gave me one of his Gold Gloves, which was really cool. … And then I've got Jimmie Foxx's 1932 All-Star trophy. So those are like, unrepeatable.' In addition to his baseball items, Brown also has a one-of-a-kind car collection. Under Brown, McClaren won the 2024 Formula 1 Constructor's Championship for the first time since 1998 and currently lead the standings in 2025. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
