Overview

• Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit on July 18 against The Wall Street Journal, News Corp, Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch over a July 17 article about an alleged 2003 Jeffrey Epstein birthday letter.
• In a July 28 motion, Trump’s lawyers asked a Miami federal judge to compel Murdoch, 94, to sit for a deposition within 15 days, citing his advanced age, health issues and New York residence.
• The filing asserts that Trump personally warned Murdoch the letter was fabricated and that Murdoch told him he would “take care of it” before the Journal published its report.
• Judge Darrin P. Gayles directed Murdoch’s team to respond by August 4 to Trump’s request for an expedited deposition and production of internal messages and call logs.
• Trump announced that Murdoch and the Journal have expressed interest in settling the lawsuit even as the newspaper reiterates its confidence in the accuracy of its reporting.