The President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently announced that he is suing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his publications, including The Wall Street Journal, for $10 billion. The reason for this lawsuit stems from a report published by The Wall Street Journal concerning Trump’s relationship with the deceased American businessman Jeffrey Epstein. This incident has once again brought their relationship under the spotlight of the media, with numerous American media outlets continuing to follow up on the matter.
On July 18th, Trump declared a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, its parent company News Corporation, and the owner of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, alleging they are guilty of defamation, resulting in “huge” financial and reputational losses.
Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman, had close connections with many prominent American politicians and business figures. After being arrested for alleged sexual crimes, he died in prison in August 2019, leading to his conviction as “suicide.”
According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on the 17th, when Epstein celebrated his 50th birthday in 2003, numerous celebrities sent him birthday greetings, including Trump. In one of these messages, Trump included inappropriate illustrations and mentioned a “secret” shared between them. The report described the content of the message but did not publish any photos of it or disclose details about obtaining it.
Trump strongly denied the report, labeling it “fake news.” In response to Trump’s lawsuit, a spokesperson for Dow Jones Company stated that they are confident in the accuracy and integrity of their reporting and will resolutely defend themselves against any legal action.
Trump promised during his 2024 presidential campaign that he would release documents related to the Epstein case upon taking office. However, on the 7th of this month, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a memorandum stating that there is no credible evidence indicating that Epstein had a “client list” used for extortion against prominent individuals or that Epstein died from murder. Furthermore, they stated that they would not release any additional documents related to the Epstein case.
The memorandum has sparked intense skepticism and dissatisfaction within Trump’s supporters, demanding the release of all investigation records related to the Epstein case. NBC commented that, in the past, regardless of any issue, Trump’s hardcore supporters stood by him. However, this time is different; “Epstein’s matter is challenging this alliance in an unprecedented way.” The media reports suggest that this could impact the midterm elections next year.
White House officials and Trump have accused conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case as a “Democratic hoax.”
President Trump: I know it’s a hoax, a Democratic scheme that has been going on for four years now.
Under pressure, Trump demanded on the 17th that the Department of Justice seek to release jury records related to the case.
The release of letters related to the case by The Wall Street Journal has further altered the situation. The Hill reported that some influential Trump supporters who previously opposed the handling of the Epstein case are now backing Trump. The Washington Post stated on the 20th that when Trump was attacked, his supporters began collectively defending him again, with the White House also attempting to divert attention.
CNN: A Trump advisor told me that nothing can unite Trump’s voters more than so-called fake news.
Survey: Nearly 90% of Americans Hope to See All Documents in Epstein Case Openly
According to a poll released by CBS on the 20th, nearly 90% of Americans hope that the Department of Justice in the United States will make all documents related to the Epstein case public.
This survey was conducted jointly by the News Department of CBS and YouGov, collecting opinions from 2,343 American adults between January 16th and 18th regarding several policies implemented by President Trump since taking office in January. The results showed that 89% of respondents support making all documents related to the Epstein case public, while 92% believe these documents may contain information damaging the reputations of many celebrities.
The survey also revealed that only 25% of respondents were satisfied with how the Trump administration handled the Epstein case, 27% were dissatisfied, and another 48% expressed extreme dissatisfaction.
The survey found that 36% of respondents believe that the investigation into Epstein’s case is very important for evaluating President Trump’s performance, while 33% consider it important but not so crucial.