logo
BREAKING NEWS Trump delivers on promise to sue Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday card

BREAKING NEWS Trump delivers on promise to sue Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday card

Daily Mail​18-07-2025
Donald Trump followed through on his promise to sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch after the paper reported on his alleged involvement with a 50th birthday gift to Jeffrey Epstein.
Court records show the libel suit filed in the Southern District of Florida against WSJ, Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch, CNBC reported.
A bombshell report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday claimed Trump wrote a 'bawdy' 50th birthday card to Epstein which concluded: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret '.
The newspaper said it had reviewed a typewritten letter bearing Trump´s signature, framed by the seemingly hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, that Ghislaine Maxwell included in a 2003 birthday album.
Trump has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, calling it 'false, malicious, and defamatory.'
Trump specifically went after its owner, Murdoch, who also owns the Fox Corporation that controls Fox News.
'I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his `pile of garbage´ newspaper, the WSJ,' Trump said on Truth Social.
'That will be an interesting experience!!!'
DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House for confirmation.
In the text, the paper claimed Trump wrote: 'We have certain things in common, Jeffrey' and that both of them know that 'there must be more to life than having everything'.
The message is said to have included an X-rated drawing of a naked woman, with Trump's famous signature squiggle written across her genitals to mimic pubic hair.
Trump has vowed to sue the Wall St Journal and said the letter, written in 2003, is 'fake'.
But it once again raises questions about the friendship between Trump and Epstein.
But last week following the memo from his DOJ, which sparked a MAGA civil war, Trump became irate and said during a cabinet meeting that everyone should move on.
He has now called his supporters 'weaklings' for believing a Democrat-run 'hoax'.
This is a developing story.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump to sign order punishing banks that discriminate against conservatives: report
Trump to sign order punishing banks that discriminate against conservatives: report

The Independent

time24 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Trump to sign order punishing banks that discriminate against conservatives: report

President Donald Trump is set to crack down on Wall Street banks accused of dropping customers over their conservative beliefs and shutting out cryptocurrency companies, a new report states. Trump, the self-professed first ' crypto-president,' is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week that threatens financial penalties in response to so-called politically motivated 'debanking,' sources told the Wall Street Journal. A draft of the order viewed by the Journal directs bank regulators to investigate whether financial institutions have violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a federal law that bars discrimination in access to credit. Investigators are reportedly also directed to look into whether antitrust or consumer financial protection laws have been breached. In some cases, the newspaper said, violations are to be reported by regulators to the attorney general, according to the order. The draft is said to urge regulators to strike any policies that might have contributed to banks dropping certain customers. The Small Business Administration is directed to review bank practices that guarantee the agency's loans. The directive also criticizes the role that some banks played in an investigation into the riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, according to the newspaper. The draft reportedly states that violating lenders could be slapped with fines and consent decrees, among other disciplinary measures. While the order doesn't explicitly name any offenders, the Journal said it appears to refer to an instance where a Christian organization operating in Uganda had its accounts shut down by the Bank of America, citing religious beliefs. The bank contested that it does not serve small businesses operating outside the U.S. Conservatives have long accused banks of denying them services on the grounds of their political or religious beliefs. In January, Trump said the CEOs Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase – Brian Moynihan and Jamie Dimon respectively – did not provide banking services to conservatives. While speaking to Fox Business last week, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott pointed fingers at regulators for shutting down bank accounts of Americans they 'just don't like.' Regulators operate under an 'alphabet soup' of federal agencies, sources told the news station, while Scott called the situation in D.C. a 'financial swamp.' Meanwhile, crypto firms have repeatedly complained they were denied access to banking services while former President Joe Biden was in office. Financial institutions have cited legal, regulatory and financial risks and blamed pressure from regulators for their previous decisions to largely avoid the cryptocurrency industry. A Bank of America spokesperson on Monday welcomed efforts to provide regulatory clarity. They told the Journal that the bank is committed to working with the Trump administration and supporting Congress to 'improve the regulatory framework.' In late April, the Justice Department said it was launching a task force in Virginia to 'combat illegal debanking.' The task force was set to review allegations of banks refusing customers access to credit or other services based on 'impermissible factors.'

Rupert Murdoch's new tabloid to bring New York Post attitude to California
Rupert Murdoch's new tabloid to bring New York Post attitude to California

BreakingNews.ie

time25 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Rupert Murdoch's new tabloid to bring New York Post attitude to California

"Headless body in topless bar"- type headlines made famous by the iconic New York Post tabloid could soon greet Californians as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp prepares to expand to the West Coast with its biggest US daily newspaper launch in nearly 15 years. The California Post will be headquartered in Los Angeles and is set to launch in early 2026, said Sean Giancola, CEO and publisher of the New York Post Media Group, which will include the new publication. Advertisement California news industry experts said the tabloid would seek to capitalise on the struggles of the incumbent Los Angeles Times, which has shed subscribers and staff. The California Post will offer a familiar mix of what it calls "common-sense journalism," celebrity and entertainment news and sports reporting across multiple platforms, including mobile and desktop, audio, social media and print, Mr Giancola said in an interview. "We already reach 3 million people in the LA (market) and over 7 million in California, so there is a base of audience there that already engages in our brand," Mr Giancola said. Mr Murdoch, the company's chairman emeritus, recognised California as a market opportunity and gave the venture his blessing, said one source with knowledge of the matter. Advertisement "You don't launch a newspaper without getting feedback from one of the best guys in the business," the source added. The last daily newspaper launched in the US by News Corp, owner of the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, was the Daily, a digital newspaper for Apple's then-new iPad tablet, in 2011. It folded the following year. A Los Angeles Times spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the California Post. Populist approach California news industry veteran Jonathan Weber said the state's newspapers adhere to a mainstream approach to journalism, which could present an opportunity for a different kind of voice that reflects this moment in the country's evolution. "Maybe there is room for a sort of pugilistic, more right-wing, kind of sensationalist sort of approach," said Mr Weber, a former Reuters editor and serial entrepreneur who founded the San Francisco Standard and the tech business-focused Industry Standard. Advertisement "There might be an opening for that." But he said the California Post also faces challenges. The New York Post is popular with readers who buy the tabloid at a newsstand before jumping on the subway, whereas Californians tend to drive to work, Mr Weber said. Mr Giancola said the New York Post Media Group has a much broader reach online than through its print edition, via a trio of digital brands including celebrity-focused Page Six, an entertainment and pop-culture guide, the Decider and its main website. These sites attracted a combined 90 million monthly unique visitors in June, the company said. 'News deserts' The Post achieved profitability in 2022 by monetizing these audiences, and running a "lean" news operation, Mr Giancola said. It also has expanded into new formats, including podcasts, video and e-commerce. "LA and California - like a lot of geographical areas in the country - are news deserts," said Mr Giancola. "We think we can come into LA with the same formula and really cover California in a bespoke way." Advertisement Ken Doctor, the California-based CEO of Lookout Local, a community journalism organisation, said the New York Post could simply rebrand the tabloid for California and boost its readership and advertising. It could also fill a void for a niche set of readers in a state that is dominated by left-wing politicians but where 38 per cent voted for president Donald Trump in the last election. "There is a place for a culturally conservative publication, and one that is populist and fits the populist times," said Mr Doctor. Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong has said he plans to bring in more conservative voices as he seeks "balance" to correct what he perceives as a left-leaning bias ahead of an initial public offering of the publication within the next year. The loss-making 143-year-old newspaper laid off more than 20 per cent of its newsroom staff in January 2024.

Texas governor vows to arrest Democrats who fled to block redistricting vote
Texas governor vows to arrest Democrats who fled to block redistricting vote

The Guardian

time25 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Texas governor vows to arrest Democrats who fled to block redistricting vote

Good morning. The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, has threatened to arrest Democratic lawmakers after they left the state to prevent Republicans from pushing through plans to aggressively change Texas's congressional map, a move that is likely to see them gain seats in the next election. At least 51 of the 62 Democrats in the Texas house left Austin yesterday, travelling to states including Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, in an effort to deny Republicans the quorum needed to hold votes. When the legislature convened at 3pm local time, Republicans were eight members short of the number required to conduct business. In response, Abbott said he had instructed the Texas department of public safety to 'locate, arrest and return to the house chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans'. Why did the Democrats leave? By breaking quorum, the Democrats have temporarily blocked the controversial plan sought by Donald Trump to redraw the state's congressional maps, a move that would probably give Republicans five more seats in Congress. More than 40 people protesting the war and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza were arrested outside the Trump International hotel in New York City yesterday evening. The protest, organized by IfNotNow, a Jewish-American anti-occupation group, had begun earlier in the evening at Columbus Circle. Hundreds gathered under the banner 'Trump: Jews Say No More' to demand an end to the war in Gaza and that the Trump administration pressure Israel to allow greater humanitarian aid to enter into the territory, as health officials there continue to report deaths from starvation and malnutrition. In a press release issued after the arrests occurred, IfNotNow said the mobilization marked 'the broadest tent coalition in the Jewish community against the atrocities in Gaza in the last two years, representing the vast majority of US Jews who are outraged by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza'. Why were the protesters arrested? Just after 8pm, the group began walking to the Trump International hotel. They gathered in front of the hotel, sitting in the street, singing and chanting. At about 8.15pm ET, New York police department officers began arresting protesters for blocking the street. A huge wildfire in central California has threatened hundreds of homes, with blazes churning through the brush-covered hillsides in Los Padres national forest. At least three people were reported injured, and more than 450 structures were under threat by the Gifford fire, officials said on Monday. The fire had scorched more than 72,000 acres (29,000 hectares) as of Monday evening, after the blaze grew out of several smaller fires that erupted Friday along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. What else is happening? Billowing smoke from hundreds of out-of-control wildfires – most of which are in the Canadian prairies – have caused severe air quality alerts across Canada and the United States. Detroit and Michigan recorded some of the worst air quality in the world on Monday, according to a ranking by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. Jim Acosta, former chief White House correspondent for CNN, sat for a conversation with an 'AI avatar' of Joaquin Oliver, one of the 17 people killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Donald Trump has attacked Jaguar Land Rover as 'woke' for its divisive rebranding strategy hours after Britain's largest carmaker announced its new boss. A Brazilian supreme court judge has ordered the house arrest of the former president Jair Bolsonaro for breaching 'preventative measures' that were imposed ahead of his trial for an alleged coup attempt. The US state department has prepared plans to impose bonds as high as $15,000 for some tourism and business visas, according to a draft of a temporary final rule. The bonds would be issued to visitors from countries with significant overstay rates, under a 12-month pilot program. As Hiroshima prepares to mark 80 years since the city was destroyed in the world's first nuclear attack, 90-year-old Yoshiko Niiyama is one of a small number of hibakusha – survivors of the atomic bombings – still able to recall the horrors they witnessed. Registered survivors of the blast have now fallen below 100,000. Delegates at the UN plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva must secure an ambitious global agreement so they can look future generations in the eye, one of the world's leading marine litter experts has said. Prof Richard Thompson said decisive action was needed to protect human health and the planet. Audio from Marriage Story of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver screaming at one another has been judged so upsetting it is now being used to deter wolves from attacking livestock. 'Wolves need to know humans are bad,' a US Department of Agriculture district supervisor in Oregon told the Wall Street Journal, explaining the unusual strategy to save cattle. First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you're not already signed up, subscribe now. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store