Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell urges Supreme Court to overturn her conviction
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Trump Seeks Murdoch Deposition Over Epstein Story, Maxwell Appeals to Supreme Court
Above: President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House with Rupert Murdoch on Feb. 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Trump's request for Murdoch's expedited deposition is justified given his direct involvement in the defamatory publication. Trump would not be moving forward if he wasn't certain the story was false, and the media needs to learn a lesson when it comes to these baseless smears. the president warned Murdoch the letter was fake before publication, yet the Journal proceeded anyway.
Democratic narrative
Trump's intimidation of the media continues apace, especially as they report on his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Media organizations have been quick to settle bogus lawsuits from him to spare themselves from his wrath and weaponization of the government, and forcing a man in his nineties to testify on such a short schedule is surely part of that tactic. The freedom of the press is severely jeopardized in the Trump era.