Trump Threatens to Sue Rupert Murdoch Over WSJ Epstein Letter Report

President Donald Trump launched a fiery tirade Friday against Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Wall Street Journal, after the newspaper published a report linking Trump to a controversial letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Journal article, published Thursday, claimed that Trump contributed to a 50th birthday album for Epstein, organized by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. Among the messages, one attributed to Trump was described as “bawdy,” featuring typed lines framed by the outline of a naked woman drawn with a thick marker.

“Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the letter allegedly concluded.

Trump Denies Letter, Slams Murdoch and WSJ

Trump responded furiously on Truth Social, calling the letter “fake” and threatening legal action.

“I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ,” he posted. “That will be an interesting experience!!!”

He also accused the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, of ignoring his objections.

“Tucker was told directly by [press secretary] Karoline Leavitt and myself that the letter was a FAKE. But she didn’t care. They ran a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway.”

Trump claimed he personally told Murdoch not to publish the article. “I told Rupert Murdoch it was a scam,” Trump wrote. “But he did it anyway. Now I’m going to sue his ass off.”

Epstein, Maxwell, and Trump’s Past

The Journal reported that Justice Department officials had reviewed portions of the birthday album in past investigations. It remains unclear whether Trump’s alleged letter was part of recent probes.

Trump has long tried to distance himself from Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 after being arrested on sex-trafficking charges. Despite Trump’s denials, his past friendship with Epstein is well documented, including photos and social appearances.

A recent memo from the Trump administration said there was no evidence Epstein was murdered or that a client list exists for blackmail purposes. This contradicted earlier remarks by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who claimed the list was “sitting on [her] desk” under Trump’s directive.

On Thursday, Trump ordered Bondi to release grand jury transcripts related to the case “subject to Court approval.” However, critics say the order only applies to a small portion of DOJ-held documents.

Source: AP News