Overview

• On Sunday, Trump labeled the Journal’s report that Secretary Scott Bessent advised him against firing Powell as “typically untruthful” in a Truth Social post.
• He reiterated in the Oval Office that he will not dismiss Jerome Powell, whom he appointed to lead the Federal Reserve in 2017.
• Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and several journalists remains pending in Miami federal court, seeking at least $10 billion in damages.
• The lawsuit challenges a 2003 report that Trump sent a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, accusing the Journal of fabricating the details of the correspondence.
• The dispute highlights broader clashes over media accuracy, presidential influence on the Federal Reserve and efforts to unseal grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case.