Former U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to take legal action against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal over a controversial report linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
The report, published by the Journal, featured a drawing of a nude woman and a letter bearing Trump’s name, allegedly part of a 2003 birthday album for the late financier Epstein. The publication has stirred intense reactions, especially from Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform Thursday night to slam the story as “fake” and announce plans to sue.
“I told Rupert Murdoch it was a scam, that he shouldn’t print this fake story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off — and that of his third-rate newspaper,” Trump wrote.
He doubled down on Friday, threatening legal action and stating: “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ.”
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Although Trump frequently threatens media organizations with lawsuits, he does not always pursue them. In this case, it remains unclear on what grounds he intends to sue, though his camp cited “defamatory lies” as the cause.
The threat marks a new twist in the long, complicated relationship between Trump and Murdoch — who controls several conservative outlets, including Fox News and the Journal. Their relationship has fluctuated over the years, swinging between alliance and conflict depending on political winds.
A Wall Street Journal spokesperson declined to comment on the legal threats or claims that Trump directly warned Murdoch ahead of the report’s release.
However, Trump’s team insists that he personally told Murdoch the letter was fake and that Murdoch reportedly claimed he would handle it, but “did not have the power to do so.” Trump’s statement also accused WSJ editor Emma Tucker of ignoring direct warnings from both him and campaign aide Karoline Leavitt.
Insiders had long speculated that Trump’s camp was trying to suppress a damaging story related to Epstein. The former president previously dismissed the growing Epstein scandal as a “hoax” and lashed out at his own supporters who expressed concern, calling them “stupid” and “foolish.”
Despite the pressure, the Journal moved forward with the publication. The article, titled “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” quickly climbed to the top of the outlet’s most-read stories and appeared prominently on the front page of its Friday print edition.
Inside the newsroom, WSJ journalists expressed pride in the editorial team’s decision to run the piece despite mounting political pressure. Several staff members reportedly described the move as “brave.”
As of now, Trump has not officially filed the lawsuit.