Trump vs Murdoch: White House boots WSJ reporter from Trump's Scotland trip amid Epstein allegations, $10B lawsuit
Trump vs Murdoch: The White House removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from President Trump's Scotland trip following a report linking him to Jeffrey Epstein.
A reporter from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) was supposed to accompany President Donald Trump to Scotland this week, but the White House pulled him from the press pool. This comes following a newspaper report that alleged Trump wrote the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a birthday card in 2003 that was laced with sexual innuendo. However, the President has strongly rejected the allegations.
Trump on Friday sued the newspaper, several of its owners, and a number of journalists, requesting $10 billion in damages.
Who is WSJ reporter Tarini Parti?
WSJ's White House reporter Tarini Parti was slated to join the pool during the last two days of Trump's four-day golf trip in Turnberry and Aberdeen, Scotland.
“As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,” Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in a statement to Politico.
“Due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board. Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible,” she added.
Trump vs Murdoch: Here's what went wrong
On July 17, the Journal claimed that it had gained access to a set of letters that were given to Epstein for his 15th birthday.
One of the messages featured Trump's name signed inside the outline of a naked woman illustration. Next day, Trump sued the publication, saying it slandered him “because no authentic letter or drawing exists.”
“The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
On the other hand, a representative for Dow Jones (WSJ’s publisher) stated they have “full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
This comes after his administration banned Associated Press reporters and photographers after the newswire service declared it would no longer refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
