Judul : Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims
link : Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims
Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims
President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner following a report about his past links with Jeffrey Epstein.
He also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to start the process of unsealing grand jury records tied to Epstein’s criminal case.
Trump said he had warned the Journal’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, that the letter referenced in the report was “fake,” and described the story as “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
“Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” Trump posted on social media. “This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!”
His post came shortly after the Journal published a piece alleging that Trump had sent Epstein a racy birthday message. Trump denied it and repeated that he had warned both Murdoch and Tucker beforehand.
“President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal,” he wrote online hours after the article went live.
The White House quickly dismissed the story. Vice President JD Vance said on X that it was “complete and utter bullshit.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who Trump said had also told Tucker the story was “fake,” called the article a “hatchet job” and claimed the outlet “refused to show us the letter and conceded they don’t even have it in their possession when we asked them to verify the alleged document.”
Neither the Journal nor its parent company, News Corp, immediately responded to requests for comment.
When reporters asked earlier if Bondi would release more information, Leavitt said she would only act if the Justice Department or FBI found new “credible evidence.”
“The president believes that he directed the Department of Justice to do an exhaustive and thorough review, and they did that, and they all agreed — the FBI director, the deputy FBI director, the attorney general — on the memo that they drafted and they released,” Leavitt said.
But hours later, that position appeared to shift. Just minutes after Trump posted his message, Bondi confirmed: “we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.”
Trump’s call to release the testimony faces significant legal challenges. Grand jury materials are typically sealed, and courts rarely make exceptions. The Epstein case, in particular, remains sensitive, as many victims and witnesses are still alive, and Ghislaine Maxwell is appealing her conviction.
Even if approved, the transcripts represent only a part of the evidence collected by the Justice Department in its Epstein investigation. They would not cover videos, photos, or FBI interview notes, which are commonly referred to as the “Epstein files.”
Rep. Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, noted on X that the grand jury testimony would likely focus only on Epstein and Maxwell, not broader materials or claims.
Murdoch owns News Corp, which includes the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and Fox News. Though Trump once had a close relationship with Murdoch and his outlets, tensions have grown, especially during Trump’s second term, as he has criticised their coverage.
This legal threat is the latest in a string of lawsuits Trump has launched against media organisations. He previously settled with ABC News for $15 million and with CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, for $16 million. He also had a dispute with the Associated Press, which he briefly barred from the Oval Office over a disagreement on editorial style.
Vance recently visited Murdoch’s Montana ranch, meeting with him, his son Lachlan, and Fox News executives.
In its report, the Wall Street Journal alleged that Trump sent a lewd birthday card to Epstein. Trump, reached by phone, denied the claim and said he planned to sue. “I’m gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else,” he told the paper.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).Demikianlah Artikel Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims
Anda sekarang membaca artikel Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims dengan alamat link https://www.punyakamu.com/2025/07/trump-threatens-to-sue-wsj-over-epstein.html
0 Response to "Trump threatens to sue WSJ over Epstein sketch claims"
Post a Comment