Rupert Murdoch: Trump Suit 'Affront to 1st Amendment'

The feud between President Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch's media empire escalated again this week.

In court documents this week, Murdoch branded Trump's $10 billion libel lawsuit against the paper "an affront to the First Amendment."

Murdoch, 94, and News Corp. asked a federal judge in Miami on Monday to dismiss Trump's lawsuit, which claims the Journal defamed him in its July 17 article about disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's "Birthday Book."

"By its very nature, this meritless lawsuit threatens to chill the speech of those who dare to publish content that the President does not like," Murdoch and News Corp. said in their filing. The filing argued that the Journal's reporting was accurate and protected under the Constitution.

"The First Amendment's protections for truthful speech are the backbone of the Constitution," the company added.

Murdoch's attorneys pointed out that two weeks ago, in response to a congressional subpoena, Epstein's estate produced the birthday book that contained the note and drawing exactly as the Journal reported.

They also noted Trump's past acknowledgment of his friendship with Epstein.

Trump has said he broke off his relationship early, well before any publicity had emerged about Epstein's relationship with young women.

Trump has accused the Journal of "dishonest journalism" for running the image, which was tied to a 2003 birthday greeting for Epstein.

The newspaper reported that the sketch, described as a bawdy caricature, bore Trump's signature, a claim the White House has denied.

Trump insisted the story was part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Murdoch's outlets, which he has repeatedly accused of turning against him.

The dustup is the latest chapter in a yearslong rift between Trump and Murdoch, whose media properties — including Fox News and the Journal — once provided the president with influential platforms.

Trump has repeatedly blasted Murdoch as "disloyal" and accused Fox News of promoting his Republican rivals, especially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the 2024 GOP primaries.

He has also claimed that Murdoch pushed Fox to soften coverage of his election fraud claims after 2020, a move Trump says alienated conservative viewers.

Earlier this year, Trump called Murdoch a "globalist" and suggested the media mogul was working to weaken his 2024 campaign by allowing "anti-Trump hit pieces" to run in his publications.

The controversy also unfolds amid heightened scrutiny of Epstein's ties to high-profile figures. Lawmakers have pressed for the release of FBI documents, though FBI Director Kash Patel told Congress last week he is bound by multiple court orders preventing disclosure.

House Democrats earlier this month released the alleged birthday note they said Trump sent Epstein, intensifying the dispute.

Trump had agreed to delay Murdoch's deposition in the lawsuit until after the court rules on the dismissal motion, citing the elderly executive's health.