Rupert Murdoch shows Trump his own of the ‘Art of the Deal'
Who would have thought Trump's AI tech bros, who lined up behind him at the inauguration, are channelling a woke agenda rather than what Meta's Mark Zuckerberg refers to as the Trump administration's 'masculine energy'?
But there were other, clearer references to how Murdoch and Trump's interests coincide, for now at least.
Transplanting the New York Post 's aggressively pro-Trump agenda next year via a sister newspaper in the other deeply Democrat outpost, Los Angeles, may not make much commercial sense. However, it underlines that it is not just Murdoch's Fox Corp that has a reach across the US and deep into Trump's voting heartland.
'Soon, all will not be quiet on the western front,' promised Thomson. Just hours later, Trump was posting about preparations for the 2028 Olympics in LA, which will now have a paper waging war on his behalf.
There is a deadly serious side to this AI battle, of course, including for the publisher of this column. Forget about the multibillion-dollar amounts being spent on AI data centres and its vast energy needs, as Thomson puts it: 'In the end, IP (intellectual property) powers AI.'
The future of the entire media industry almost certainly relies on it.
The threat AI poses makes this an important battle the Murdochs are fighting. Far more important than this legal skirmish with Trump, which appears to have temporarily lost some of its steam.
Just this week, both parties agreed to hold off on Murdoch's court deposition until after The Wall Street Journal 's motion to dismiss the case had been heard.
The Wall Street Journal was sued by Trump following high-profile reports on his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, just as MAGA followers grew enraged about attempts by the US president to play down the conspiracies he pandered to before taking office.
Loading
What news reports have downplayed is the fact that both parties also agreed not to engage in discovery for now, an issue that should trouble Trump far more than Rupert if the president has anything to hide on Epstein.
And, no doubt, Rupert would remain ready to pounce. Meanwhile, his two News empires, News Corp and Fox Corp, are as financially healthy as they have ever been – partly due to Trump.
And if Trump can be enticed into fighting on their side in the battle to get AI giants to pay for the content they purloin from traditional media, the financial impact could extend way beyond the 94-year-old's lifetime.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
9 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Trump's higher tariffs spark defiance and concern
US President Donald Trump's higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries have kicked in, raising the average US import duty to its highest in a century and leaving major trade partners such as Switzerland, Brazil and India hurriedly searching for a better deal. The US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher tariffs of 10 per cent to 50 per cent on Thursday after weeks of suspense over Trump's final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with countries seeking to lower them. The leaders of Brazil and India vowed not to be cowed by Trump's hardline bargaining position, even while their negotiators sought a reprieve from the highest tariff levels. The new rates will test Trump's strategy for shrinking US trade deficits without causing massive disruptions to global supply chains or provoking higher inflation and stiff retaliation from trading partners. After unveiling his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April, Trump has frequently modified his plans, slapping much higher rates on imports from some countries. These include 50 per cent for goods from Brazil, 39 per cent from Switzerland, 35 per cent from Canada and 25 per cent from India. He announced on Wednesday a further 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, to be implemented in 21 days over India's purchases of Russian oil, on top of the 25 per cent already imposed. Tariffs are ultimately paid by companies importing the goods and passed on in full or in part to consumers of end products. Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, said the US was working to reverse decades of policies that had weakened US manufacturing capacity and workforce, and that many other countries shared concerns about macroeconomic imbalances. "The rules of international trade cannot be a suicide pact," he wrote in a column published by the New York Times. "By imposing tariffs to rebalance the trade deficit and negotiating significant reforms that form the basis of a new international system, the United States has shown bold leadership," Greer said. Eight major trading partners accounting for about 40 per cent of US trade flows have reached framework deals for trade and investment concessions to Trump, including the European Union, Japan and South Korea, reducing their base tariff rates to 15 per cent. Britain won a 10 per cent rate, while Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines secured rate reductions to 19 per cent or 20 per cent. Countries with punishingly high duties, such as India and Canada, "will continue to scramble around trying to fix this," he added. Switzerland's President Karin Keller-Sutter said on Thursday that talks with the US would continue after she returned home empty-handed from an 11th-hour trip to Washington aimed at averting the crippling US import tariff on Swiss goods. A last-minute attempt by South Africa to improve its offer in exchange for a lower tariff rate also failed. The two countries' trade negotiating teams would have more talks, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said. Meanwhile, Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva told Reuters on Wednesday he would not humiliate himself by seeking a phone call with Trump even as he said his government would continue cabinet-level talks to lower a 50 per cent tariff rate. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was similarly defiant, saying he would not compromise the interests of the country's farmers. The pressure has also strengthened India's commitment to a "strategic partnership" with Russia, with Russian President Vladimir Putin set to visit by the end of the year. Some countries were also rallying together to confront Trump, with Brazil's Lula saying he would call the leaders of India and China to discuss a joint BRICS response to tariffs. Trump has repeatedly railed against BRICS members and recently threatened to subject their imports to an additional 10 per cent tariff.
ABC News
9 minutes ago
- ABC News
Trump's higher tariffs on major trading partners officially kick in
Higher tariffs on goods imported from dozens of countries into the United States have officially come into force, leaving some major trading partners scrambling to secure a deal with the world's biggest economy. The US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher tariffs of 10 per cent to 50 per cent from at 12:01am US east coast time on Thursday, after weeks of suspense over Donald Trump's final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with countries seeking to lower them. The increases bring the US's average import duty to its highest rate in a century, and are part of Mr Trump's strategy to shrink America's trade deficit with trading partners. Among leaders vowing to hold out on making a deal with Mr Trump are Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The US president has frequently modified his plans since unveiling his "liberation day" tariffs in April. Recently, he slapped higher rates on imports from some countries, including 50 per cent for goods from Brazil, 39 per cent from Switzerland, 35 per cent from Canada and 25 per cent from India. He announced on Wednesday a further 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, to be implemented in 21 days over India's purchases of Russian oil, on top of the 25 per cent already imposed. Tariffs are ultimately paid by companies importing the goods, and passed on in full or in part to consumers of end products. Mr Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, said the US was working to reverse decades of policies that had weakened its manufacturing capacity and workforce. "The rules of international trade cannot be a suicide pact," he wrote in a column published by the New York Times. "By imposing tariffs to rebalance the trade deficit and negotiating significant reforms that form the basis of a new international system, the United States has shown bold leadership." Eight major trading partners accounting for about 40 per cent of US trade flows have reached framework deals for trade and investment concessions to Mr Trump, including the European Union, Japan and South Korea, reducing their base tariff rates to 15 per cent. Australia is currently on the base rate tariff of 15 per cent. Britain negotiated a 10 per cent rate, while Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines secured rate reductions to 19 per cent or 20 per cent. Center for Strategic and International Studies trade expert and senior fellow William Reinsch said the tariffs would likely stoke inflation. "There'll be some supply chain rearrangement. There'll be a new equilibrium," he told Reuters. Countries with punishingly high duties, such as India and Canada, "will continue to scramble around trying to fix this," he added. US import taxes are one part of a multi-layered tariff strategy that includes national security-based sectoral tariffs on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, autos, steel, aluminium, copper, lumber and other goods. Mr Trump said on Wednesday the microchip duties could reach 100 per cent. China is on a separate tariff track and will face a potential tariff increase on August 12 unless Mr Trump approves an extension of a prior truce. He has said he may impose additional tariffs over China's purchases of Russian oil as he seeks to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine. The US president has also a vast increase in federal revenues from his import tax collections, with his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying on Fox Business Network on Thursday that he expected revenue from tariffs to reach $US50 billion a month. Mr Lutnick said more increases were expected from separate duties on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals that should be announced soon. The increase in duties will drive average US tariff rates to around 20 per cent, the highest in a century and up from 2.5 per cent when Mr Trump took office in January, the Atlantic Council estimates. US Commerce Department data released last week included more evidence that tariffs were driving up prices for American consumers, including for recreational goods and motor vehicles. Costs were also mounting for companies, including bellwethers Caterpillar, Marriott, Molson Coors and Yum Brands. Reuters
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Cambodia PM has nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Cambodia's prime minister says he has nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, lauding his "extraordinary statesmanship" in halting a border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Hun Manet made the announcement in a Facebook post late on Thursday, accompanied by a letter he said had been sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He hailed Trump's intervention as an example of his "exceptional achievements in de-escalating tensions in some of the world's most volatile regions". "This timely intervention, which averted a potentially devastating conflict, was vital in preventing a great loss of lives and paved the way towards the restoration of peace," the Cambodian leader wrote in the letter. It was a July 26 call by Trump to the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia that broke the deadlock in efforts to end some of the heaviest fighting between the neighbours in recent history, Reuters has reported. That led to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on July 28. The two countries agreed on Thursday to ensure no reigniting of hostilities and to allow observers from Southeast Asia. In total, 43 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced by a five-day conflict. It started with small arms fire and quickly escalated into heavy artillery and rocket fire, then Thailand's deployment hours later of an F-16 fighter jet for air strikes. The nomination had been expected after Cambodia's deputy prime minister last week announced the plan, while thanking Trump for a tariff of 19 per cent on Cambodian imports by the United States. It was sharply reduced from the previously threatened 49 per cent that he said would have decimated its vital garment manufacturing sector. Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had also nominated Trump for the award.
