Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a published article, alleging it contained false and defamatory information. This action adds to a list of similar lawsuits against major media organizations, some of which have settled for substantial sums.
Rupert Murdoch's support of the Wall Street Journal's article marks a significant shift in his relationship with Trump. While Fox News, also owned by Murdoch, has generally supported Trump, the WSJ's stance has often been critical of his economic policies. This divergence demonstrates a complex interplay between media ownership, political allegiances, and financial interests.
The legal battle between Trump and the Wall Street Journal is closely observed by other media organizations. The outcome will influence the approach of media outlets toward reporting on Trump, highlighting the potential risks and rewards of critical reporting. The lawsuit has also stirred discontent among Trump's MAGA base, leading to speculation of an internal conspiracy to suppress information related to the Epstein files.
“We have just filed a powerhouse Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, fake news ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is, The Wall Street Journal,” Trump wrote on social media.
Murdoch joins the list of large media organisations that have been sued by Trump, with CBS and the US ABC network each paying $24.6 million recently to settle with Trump.
Other media moguls, including Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, have been visible supporters of Trump, seemingly unwilling to risk their business interests by picking a fight with the president.
One can only salivate at what the legal discovery process could uncover if the Murdoch case found its way into the public arena.
But in many respects, plenty of Trump damage has already been inflicted. The WSJ story stirred up an already vocal and unhappy element within Trump’s MAGA base that feels there is a conspiracy afoot within the Trump administration to suppress releasing the contents of the Epstein files.
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To be fair, the WSJ editorial stance to date has been generally unsupportive of Trump’s tariff war. To have condoned the trade policy in the face of overwhelming evidence from the economics and finance communities that the president’s moves will stir inflation and slow the economy would have been a credibility killer for the business-based publication.
So it has not been in Murdoch’s interests to support much of Trump’s economic policy agenda in the WSJ.
The same can’t be said for Murdoch’s highly conservative Fox News, whose cash register is constantly ringing thanks to the heightened viewership of US conservatives and Trump supporters.
But in supporting the WSJ, Murdoch has broken the sometimes fractious relationship with Trump.
How this plays out will be closely watched by other media organisations, including those that have been critical of Trump and then backed away, and those that have stuck to their guns but paid a price.
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