Donald Trump is pushing a federal judge to force media mogul Rupert Murdoch to testify fast—because, according to Trump, the 94-year-old might not live long enough to make it to trial.
Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal, which Murdoch owns, for $10 billion. He says the paper defamed him in a story linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Trump wants Murdoch questioned under oath as soon as possible.
“Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares,” Trump’s legal team wrote in a court filing. “Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial.”
Trump’s lawyers want the court in Miami to order Murdoch’s deposition within 15 days.
The lawsuit was filed just one day after the Journal ran a story saying Trump once signed a lewd birthday card for Epstein and hinted the two shared private “secrets.”
Murdoch’s company, Dow Jones, says the article was fair and accurate.
“We stand by our reporting and will vigorously defend against the president’s lawsuit,” a spokesperson said.
