Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1335 EAT on Saturday 19 July 2025

Trump Sues Rupert Murdoch and Wall Street Journal for $10 Billion Over Epstein Note Allegation

President Trump claims defamation over article suggesting he sent a “bawdy” birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003

The President alleges defamation over article linking him to disgraced financier; calls WSJ a “useless rag” in social media tirade

Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, and the Wall Street Journal, accusing them of publishing a “false, malicious, defamatory” article that claimed he sent a bawdy birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

In a social media post, Trump blasted the newspaper as a “useless rag” and warned Murdoch and others to prepare for “many hours of depositions and testimonies.” The former president insists the note is “fake” and that Murdoch had been warned not to publish the story.

The lawsuit comes amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s ties to public figures. This week, the U.S. Department of Justice asked a judge to unseal materials related to the Epstein case, following public criticism of how it was handled under the Trump administration.

Rupert Murdoch, who was seen on Sunday attending the FIFA Club World Cup alongside Trump, is the founder of a global media empire that includes Fox News and the Wall Street Journal—outlets widely credited with helping to elevate Trump’s political profile and propel him to the White House in 2016.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the letter at the center of the controversy “contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.”

The note was described as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person, and styled in a playful, irreverent tone.

One line reportedly included a joking reference that “enigmas never age.” The message allegedly concluded with the words: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

Trump swiftly denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested the unsealing of grand jury transcripts from the 2019 sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein—documents typically kept confidential and protected by law.

On Thursday, former President Donald Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of records related to Epstein’s secret grand jury testimony.

The Justice Department formally filed the request with a New York judge, arguing that the materials—arising from charges that Epstein trafficked dozens of girls, some as young as 14—“serve the public interest.”

The Justice Department is also seeking the release of documents in the case against Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of child sex trafficking conspiracy.

A grand jury—a panel that determines whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges—often hears testimony from confidential informants and witnesses whose identities are protected for their safety. Grand jury materials are typically kept secret by law, but a judge may decide to unseal them if the public interest outweighs the need for confidentiality.

It remains uncertain when or if these documents will be released, or whether they will contain many of the details that Trump’s supporters have been demanding.

The developments on Friday came amid a turbulent week for the president, as some of his most loyal supporters demanded greater transparency and public disclosure in the Epstein case.

Several Trump loyalists have even called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed her position on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a discharge petition that would compel Attorney General Bondi to release a wide range of Justice Department materials related to Epstein.

The effort has united some of Congress’s fiercest opponents—including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—both of whom have signed on as supporters.

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