Lawyers for President Trump have filed a motion in a Miami federal court asking for Rupert Murdoch to provide testimony within 15 days in a defamation lawsuit linked to an alleged birthday letter for Jeffrey Epstein. Trump's team emphasizes Murdoch's advanced age—he is currently 94 years old—and mentions recent health issues, arguing that these factors could prevent him from testifying in-person at trial.
The lawsuit stems from a Wall Street Journal article owned by Murdoch's News Corp, which claimed Trump penned a "bawdy" letter to celebrate Epstein's birthday in 2003. In their court filing, Trump's lawyers stated that Murdoch had been informed prior to the article's publication that the letter was not authentic.
The $10 billion lawsuit contends that the Journal aimed to malign the president's reputation, a claim Dow Jones, the Journal's publisher, has refuted, asserting they are ready to defend their reporting. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles has directed Murdoch to respond to the deposition request by August 4.
Details from the letter, reportedly featuring typewritten text within the outline of a naked woman, have been contentious. Trump has denied writing the note, asserting, "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."
The article's release coincided with increasing pressure on Trump's administration to reveal further details regarding Epstein, with whom Trump had a publicly acknowledged friendship before their relationship reportedly soured in 2004. Trump, who alleges his name may have been improperly included in Epstein-related documents, has made accusations against former officials like Merrick Garland and James Comey but provided no evidence to substantiate these claims. Neither Garland nor Comey has publicly responded to Trump’s statements.
