‘Opened the door’: Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch with $20 billion lawsuit over his secret letter to Epstein

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch, News Corp., and The Wall Street Journal over an article about a birthday note allegedly written to Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit seeks at least $20 billion in damages from the defendants, including the newspaper’s publisher Dow Jones & Co. and two reporters.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article describing what they called a “bawdy” birthday note that Trump supposedly wrote to Epstein, who was a billionaire previously convicted of sex crimes. Trump claims the letter is fake, and his legal team argues that the newspaper failed to meet proper journalistic standards and ethics in their reporting.

Trump took to Truth Social to address the lawsuit, stating: “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!” The White House has also removed the Journal from the press pool for an upcoming presidential trip to Scotland, reflecting Trump’s ongoing battles with media organizations.

Recent settlements show pattern of media companies paying Trump

This lawsuit follows recent cases where major media companies chose to settle with Trump rather than fight in court. Disney paid $15 million to end a dispute with ABC News, while Paramount settled for $16 million in a case involving CBS News, despite legal experts saying these companies could have won their cases.

Dow Jones has responded to the lawsuit through a representative, saying they stand behind their reporting and will defend themselves strongly against any legal action. The statement emphasized their confidence in the accuracy and thoroughness of their work.

The Wall Street Journal has maintained its reputation for independent news reporting under Murdoch’s ownership, despite his other media properties like Fox News and the New York Post typically supporting Trump. The Journal’s editorial board has actually criticized other media companies for settling similar lawsuits with Trump.

The relationship between Trump and Murdoch’s media empire has been complex. While Fox News has generally supported Trump’s agenda, there have been moments of tension, particularly after the January 6 Capitol riots. The New York Post’s editorial board blamed Trump for the events, and Murdoch himself expressed strong disapproval of Trump’s actions in private communications with Fox News executives.