Donald Trump wants 94-year-old Rupert Murdoch be grilled in court, says he might die before trial

Donald Trump has demanded that media mogul Rupert Murdoch be deposed in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit, claiming the 94-year-old may not live long enough to testify. The legal battle stems from a Wall Street Journal article, which Trump claims falsely links him to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Why is Donald Trump targeting Rupert Murdoch now?

President Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito cited Murdoch’s advanced age and a history of health concerns in the filing. “Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares, and is presumed to live in New York,” Brito wrote, arguing that these factors make his in-person availability at trial uncertain, as per a report by the Daily Beast.


President Trump wants Rupert Murdoch, the 94-year-old billionaire owner of The Wall Street Journal and his adversary, removed from office right away out of concern that he might pass away. Trump claims Murdoch was directly involved in publishing a "fake" Epstein-related story, as per a report by the Daily Beast.

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Trump's attorney asked the court to remove Murdoch from office within the next two weeks in a motion submitted on Monday in the $10 billion lawsuit that Trump has against Murdoch and the Journal. When combined, these elements significantly influenced the decision that Murdoch would not be able to testify in person during the trial.

What’s the Epstein letter controversy?

The Journal revealed earlier this month that Trump had sent offender Jeffrey Epstein a “bawdy” letter for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. Trump then filed a lawsuit against Murdoch, the Journal, and several of the paper’s employees in a federal court in Florida.

The letter reportedly included a fictional exchange between Trump and Epstein within an outline of a woman. Trump has denied ever writing or sending such a letter, calling the article defamatory.

Donald Trump and his supporters have relied on Murdoch for guidance despite their frequent arguments over coverage from publications in Murdoch's U.S. media empire, which includes the New York Post, Fox News, and the Journal. Vice President JD Vance paid Murdoch a visit at the billionaire's Montana ranch last month after Murdoch visited the White House in February.

How does Murdoch factor into the Journal article?

Trump's attorney claimed that Murdoch's direct participation in the Journal's story justifies his accelerated deposition, claiming the president wants Murdoch to discuss only his own choices regarding the Epstein story's publication.

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The report on the letter was released hours after Trump's claim that he urged Murdoch not to publish the July 17 article. The decision to publish false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements about President Trump was made with genuine malice and intent, as evidenced by Murdoch's direct involvement, according to Brito.

Brito also asserted that Trump's letter to Epstein did not exist, but that if the Journal did, Murdoch would have access to it. Reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo wrote the Journal story, which claimed to have "reviewed" the letter but did not actually have it.

FAQs

Why is Trump rushing Murdoch's deposition?
Trump's attorneys argue that Murdoch's age and health make it critical to record his testimony before trial.

What exactly is the subject of the lawsuit?
Trump is suing over a Wall Street Journal article claiming he sent a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, which he denies.