Trump seeks quick Murdoch deposition in WSJ lawsuit over Epstein story

US President Donald Trump is asking a federal court in Florida to force Rupert Murdoch to give a deposition for the president’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal within 15 days, citing the media mogul’s age and physical condition.

Mr Trump sued the Journal, owned by Murdoch, in the US District Court in southern Florida on July 18 for its story reporting on the Republican president’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and alleged child sex trafficker who died in a New York jail in 2019 before trial.

The president’s motion to the court on Monday noted Murdoch is 94 years old, is believed to have suffered several health scares in recent years and is presumed to live in New York.

US President Donald Trump (Christopher Furlong/Pool Photo via AP). PA Media

“Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial,” Trump’s request to the court said.

A spokesman for Murdoch’s News Corp did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump’s motion said that, in a telephone conversation, Murdoch’s lawyer indicated he would oppose the effort.

On Monday, Trump said that he ended his friendship with Epstein and threw disgraced financier out of his private club in Florida after Epstein betrayed him more than once by hiring people who had worked for him.

Trump did not say what the people’s jobs were or where they worked, and the White House had no immediate comment.

But with the fresh comments, Trump shed a little light on the reason why he has said he had ended the relationship with Epstein, though Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, recently said on X that “the fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep”.

The Republican president spoke at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland, as he sat with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after the leaders had met and were answering questions from US and UK journalists.

Asked to explain why the relationship had faltered, Trump said: “That’s such old history, very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it.”

He then explained, saying he stopped talking to Epstein after “he did something that was inappropriate”.

“He hired help and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” Trump said. “He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.

“I threw him out and that was it. I’m glad I did, if you want to know the truth.”