The long-standing, often tumultuous relationship between media titan Rupert Murdoch and former President Donald Trump has escalated into an unprecedented legal showdown, with Trump filing a substantial lawsuit against Murdoch’s News Corp. This legal battle, rooted in a controversial Wall Street Journal report, offers a rare, public glimpse into the complex dynamics of two influential figures whose interactions have shaped American politics and media for decades.
At the heart of the dispute is the Wall Street Journal’s publication of allegations that Trump sent a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump vehemently denies these claims, labeling the report “fake” and retaliating with a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Murdoch and his media empire. The former president’s public denunciations of the Journal as a “Disgusting and Filthy Rag” highlight the depth of his contention.
Trump’s legal team has intensified the pressure, seeking to compel Murdoch to appear for a prompt deposition. Their motion cited the mogul’s age and various health issues, including a recent fainting episode, a broken back, a torn Achilles tendon, and atrial fibrillation, arguing these conditions could prevent his in-person testimony at trial. This strategic move underscores the high stakes and aggressive tactics employed in the litigation.
The current legal skirmish is merely the latest chapter in a half-century-long entanglement that began when Australian-born Murdoch established his media presence in the U.S. by acquiring the New York Post. Trump, then a rising New York real estate developer, frequently used the Post’s Page Six to cultivate his public image, demonstrating an early, symbiotic relationship between the two power brokers.
Fox News, a cornerstone of Murdoch’s empire, played a pivotal role in Trump’s political ascent, offering a consistent platform for his views and controversies, including the “birther” conspiracy theories about former President Obama. This mutually beneficial alliance saw Trump transition from a reality TV star to a political icon for his base, while Fox News concurrently solidified its position as a ratings and financial powerhouse, often leading prime-time viewership.
Despite their intertwined destinies, their alliance has seen periodic ruptures. Insiders recall Murdoch’s 2015 tweet questioning Trump’s public conduct and his attempts to bolster rival presidential hopefuls like Ron DeSantis through favorable Fox News coverage. A significant turning point occurred post-2020 election when Fox News’s accurate call of Arizona for Biden incensed Trump and his supporters, leading to accusations of betrayal and an immediate viewer exodus.
To regain lost viewership, Fox News provided a platform for Trump surrogates who disseminated unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, despite internal knowledge to the contrary, as revealed in court filings related to the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit. Murdoch himself acknowledged he could have intervened to stop the amplification of these false narratives post-January 6, 2021, illustrating the complex ethical and business challenges faced by the network.
Murdoch’s vast media empire, encompassing News Corp. and Fox Corp., allows for varying editorial stances, with The Wall Street Journal often adopting a more critical tone toward Trump, as evidenced by its reporting on payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. This legal saga also follows Trump’s recent settlements in defamation lawsuits against other media entities, signaling his aggressive stance against perceived inaccuracies.
Ultimately, the ongoing conflict between Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump underscores a fascinating dynamic: two titans, each driven by their own ambitions, clashing in the public arena. As one analyst noted, Murdoch, a connoisseur of news and a provocateur, seems willing to challenge Trump, reaffirming the media’s complex role in shaping political narratives and holding powerful figures accountable, even when those figures were once allies.
