Trump Cites Rupert Murdoch’s Age in Bid to Depose Him Right Away in WSJ Lawsuit

President Trump asked a court Monday to order an expedited deposition of Rupert Murdoch in his suit against the Wall Street Journal, citing the mogul’s advanced age.

Trump sued Murdoch on July 18 over a Journal article that alleged he had written a “bawdy” letter to celebrate Jeffrey Epstein‘s 50th birthday. The defamation suit alleges that the letter is “fake” and seeks $10 billion in damages.

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On Monday, Trump’s lawyers argued that they should be allowed to depose Murdoch right away, noting that he is 94 and “is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares.”

Trump has said that he reached out to Murdoch before the article was published to warn him that the letter was fake and to threaten to sue.

“Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it, but, obviously did not have the power to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The motion states that Murdoch is known to take a “hands-on” approach to news decisions in his publications. Trump’s lawyers want to ask him about conversations he may have had with the Journal staff about the Epstein story.

The motion seeks a de bene esse deposition, which would allow his videotaped testimony to be played at trial if Murdoch is unavailable.

Trump’s lawyers cite a 2023 Vanity Fair story that quoted unnamed sources stating that Murdoch had suffered “a broken back, seizures, two bouts of pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, and a torn Achilles tendon” within the previous five years.

Dow Jones, the publisher of the Journal, has defended the paper’s reporting.

“We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” the company said July 18.

Trump filed the suit in federal court in Miami. Judge Darrin P. Gayles ordered Murdoch’s lawyers to respond to the motion by Aug. 4.