Collect ’spherical, youngsters, whereas we learn the superb movement that President Donald Trump filed in his swimsuit in opposition to The Wall Road Journal over their story about Trump’s coziness with convicted lifeless intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The gist of it’s that despite the fact that Trump solely filed his lawsuit in opposition to the paper 10 days earlier than demanding this, he must depose media mogul Rupert Murdoch with a quickness, earlier than Murdoch shuffles off this mortal coil.
Typically, discovery in a federal case doesn’t begin till the events have a Rule 26(f) convention, the place they have to confer about discovery and create a proposed discovery plan. That convention doesn’t occur till after a defendant has filed a solution to the grievance, which hasn’t occurred right here. The truth is, Trump didn’t oppose the Journal’s request to delay answering the grievance till Sept. 22, 2025, however then circled and filed this factor.
“Stepped in it” by Clay Bennett
So, again to Murdoch. Is there any specific motive to imagine that Murdoch can be lifeless earlier than this case both hits the invention stage or The Wall Road Journal caves like so many media firms earlier than it? Effectively, per Trump’s submitting, it’s as a result of he’s previous, previous, previous.
Right here’s the rundown on strolling corpse Murdoch. He fainted at breakfast just a few months in the past, he was hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2022, within the final 5 years he broke his again, had seizures, had pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, and a torn Achilles tendon. Yeah, these torn tendons are a literal killer for certain. Additionally, Rupert is 94 and lives in New York.
All of this, for Trump, provides as much as justification to demand a deposition and manufacturing of paperwork months earlier than he’s entitled to it. Murdoch is both going to die or be too frail to go to Miami, the place Trump filed this case.
It’s not simply that Murdoch goes to die. It’s additionally that he’s rather more highly effective and has an enormous benefit over Trump. That is Trump in full beleaguered twin position: on the one hand, he’s the president, so how dare you! Alternatively, he’s only a small bean who’s at an unimaginable drawback in opposition to the would possibly of The Wall Road Journal:
Murdoch is ready to defend himself as a result of he has entry to all the knowledge and paperwork associated to the below-defined malicious and defamatory Article, and the choice behind deciding to publish it. Alternatively, President Trump has very restricted data associated to the Article.
Moreover being nonsense vis-a-vis the alleged energy imbalance, that is additionally nonsense legally. After all Murdoch is aware of extra about what occurred at The Wall Road Journal than Trump does. However that’s true in each lawsuit like this, not a motive to get a jumpstart on discovery earlier than the opposite aspect has even answered the grievance.
However wait, there’s extra. In response to Trump, it’s not simply that he’s the underdog right here. It’s additionally that this helps Murdoch:
Timing of the deposition advantages Murdoch. As a result of discovery has not but begun, Murdoch has a bonus over President Trump to defend himself in his deposition. On the one hand, Murdoch has entry to all the knowledge associated to the Article and the choice behind publishing it. Alternatively, President Trump has very restricted data associated to the Article and lacks the identical entry to data that Murdoch does.
Trump isn’t simply demanding Murdoch sit for a deposition. He additionally needs a ton of paperwork turned over in discovery—once more, not a factor that one will get to do 10 days after submitting a lawsuit. In response to Trump, nevertheless, it’s cool, as a result of he’s not asking for a lot. Simply all of the paperwork in regards to the article, any textual content messages or WhatsApp or Slack or some other digital messages in regards to the article, and a log of all calls Murdoch made or obtained in regards to the article.
That is actually the other of the way it works. No defendant is clamoring to be deposed lengthy earlier than they’ve answered the grievance or agreed on the scope of discovery. Nobody goes to surrender all these paperwork so Trump can go on a fishing expedition. Moderately, that is Trump making an attempt to wring data out of Murdoch earlier than having to do the heavy lifting of truly pursuing this lawsuit quite than hoping for a multimillion greenback payout.
Trump additionally makes use of this time to reiterate all his grievances in regards to the paper’s protection of his ties with Epstein and his very distinctive concept of defamation. Trump says that as a result of he known as Murdoch to personally demand he kill the story as a result of Trump stated it was false and, per Trump, Murdoch stated he would “take care of it,” that implies that the Journal printed the piece realizing it was pretend:
As a result of Defendants printed the Article after President Trump spoke straight with Murdoch and suggested him that the letter referenced within the Article was pretend, Murdoch’s direct involvement additional underscores Defendants’ precise malice and intent behind the choice to publish the false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements about President Trump recognized within the Grievance.
This isn’t how defamation works. You don’t get to only say “well, I said it wasn’t true, so now it’s defamatory if you publish it” and win the day. In any other case it could be near-impossible to prevail in a defamation swimsuit in opposition to an inveterate liar like Trump.
The lawyer behind this little bit of glowing prose is Alejandro Brito, who’s Trump’s go-to man for frivolous fits in opposition to media firms. It will usually end in sanctions for him and penalties for his shoppers, however since these firms simply preserve caving, no hurt performed.
Trump’s demand within the lawsuit is his normal inflated nonsense—The Wall Road Journal owes him $10 billion for defaming him. However let’s face it—what he’s actually angling for is the usual bribe of $16 million or so, together with a tacit settlement that the Journal gained’t say unhealthy issues about Trump ever once more, or they’ll face one other lawsuit.
However possibly, simply possibly, the Journal would be the mainstream media entity to face on precept and preserve combating Trump. By no means thought we’d must cheer for the bodily and psychological integrity of Rupert Murdoch, however we dwell right here now.
