Why Trump Has Sued Media House For Ksh1.3 Trillion
The American Head of State also sued the company's chairman, Rupert Murdoch, in response to a report linking him to a 2003 birthday letter allegedly addressed to Jeffrey Epstein.
Ooro George 
United States (US) President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion (Ksh1.29 trillion) defamation lawsuit against News Corp., the parent company of The Wall Street Journal.
The American Head of State also sued the company's chairman, Rupert Murdoch, in response to a report linking him to a 2003 birthday letter allegedly addressed to Jeffrey Epstein.
The complaint, lodged in a federal court in Florida, challenges a Wall Street Journal article that described a letter bearing Trump’s name alongside a sketch of a nude woman included in a birthday album compiled for Epstein. Trump's legal team contends that the publication was “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
Wall Street Journal's offices in New York, USA. /FLICKR
The lawsuit marks yet another instance of Trump's aggressive legal tactics against media organisations critical of him. However, the case faces immediate procedural complications, as Florida law typically requires plaintiffs to provide media outlets with a five-day notice before initiating defamation proceedings— a step that appears to have been bypassed.
Legal experts suggest the suit will likely struggle to meet the high threshold required in defamation cases involving public figures.
To succeed, Trump would need to prove that the publication acted with “actual malice”—either knowingly publishing false information or showing reckless disregard for the truth.
Despite the legal obstacles, analysts note that Trump has frequently used litigation as a political and public relations tool, often leveraging lawsuits to apply pressure or shape narratives rather than secure courtroom victories.
The inclusion of Murdoch as a defendant and the timing of the filing have since raised speculation about possible strategic motivations tied to ongoing leadership transitions and regulatory considerations within Murdoch’s media empire.
The action reflects a broader pattern in Trump’s post-presidency playbook: using legal avenues to challenge and intimidate media outlets, even when the prospects of a decisive legal win remain uncertain.
Trump's onslaught against media houses is nothing new. On Friday, June 20, his administration initiated widespread layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other state-funded media organisations, pushing forward with the cuts despite ongoing legal battles.
Kari Lake, a staunch Trump ally recently appointed to a top position at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), defended the decision, calling it a "long-overdue" move to break down what she described as an overgrown and unaccountable bureaucracy.
"In accordance with President Trump's Executive Order dated March 14, 2025, titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), has completed a significant workforce reduction, eliminating 1,400 positions, an 85% decrease in personnel since March," the statement read in part.
"Today, we took decisive action to effectuate President Trump's agenda to shrink the out-of-control federal bureaucracy," said Lake, Senior Advisor to USAGM.
She further disclosed that a reduction in Force Termination Notices was sent to 639 employees at USAGM and VOA, a move that was likely to target Kenyan journalists working for the media house.
The organisation was hiring several Kenyan nationals across different positions. VOA also stopped its broadcasts in the Great Lakes region, which covers Kenya.
