In an ongoing legal battle, President Donald Trump has requested that Rupert Murdoch, the 94-year-old media magnate, be deposed swiftly in connection with his defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. Trump's legal team has filed documents in a Miami federal court asserting that Murdoch's advanced age and purported health issues necessitate an expedited deposition, ideally within a 15-day timeframe.
The lawsuit centers around an article published by the Wall Street Journal, owned by Murdoch's News Corp, which claimed that Trump had authored a risqué birthday letter for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump's lawyers assert that he had preemptively informed Murdoch that the letter was fabricated prior to the article’s release, which they argue is damaging to Trump's reputation.
In their court filing, Trump's lawyers emphasized Murdoch's fragile health, stating, "Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial." The lawsuit seeks $10 billion in damages, with Dow Jones, the Journal's publisher, rejecting Trump's claims and stating their intention to defend the article robustly.
US District Judge Darrin Gayles is overseeing the case and has asked Murdoch to respond to the deposition request by August 4. The controversial letter reportedly contained suggestive drawings and phrases that mimicked a dialogue between Trump and Epstein, concluding with ‘A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret.’
Following the publication, Trump vehemently denied the authenticity of the letter, claiming, “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures.” This incident arose amidst increasing scrutiny on the Trump administration regarding its connections to Epstein, reflecting their long-standing relationship that Trump claims soured prior to Epstein’s legal troubles.
Additionally, Trump recently suggested that his name might have been inserted into the Epstein files by former Attorney General Merrick Garland or ex-FBI Director James Comey, although he did not provide supporting evidence. The responses from Garland and Comey remain elusive as the controversy surrounding the case continues to unfold.
