"The Billion Dollar Birthday Card Backlash"Murdoch’s empire handed Trump a legal weapon; over a birthday card. But this lawsuit isn’t about truth. It’s about leverage, loyalty, and unchecked media recklessness.Let me start by saying this isn’t about a birthday card. It’s about a media empire getting caught in the gears of a machine it helped build; and now refuses to acknowledge as dangerous. Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters over an article that, frankly, didn’t say much; except that Trump may have sent a “bawdy” birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump says he didn’t. The Journal says he did. And now we’re all headed for court. I’ve seen this before. Trump sued me in the same federal court in Florida for $500 million; a number designed not to win, but to crush. These lawsuits aren't always about truth or damages; they’re about pressure. I know the game. I’ve played both sides of it. And trust me, it’s designed to inflict maximum pain; legal, financial, and psychological, on the target. But here’s something else I know: the pain of being misrepresented in the press. Of reading headlines that turn your life upside down. I lived it during the frenzy of the Steele Dossier. Eleven allegations were made about me; eleven. All false. Including the absurd, now-debunked claim that I traveled to Prague with $10 million in cash to pay off Russian operatives. That one took on a life of its own. For years, it followed me around like a ghost. I had never been to Prague. I had no cash. And I sure as hell wasn’t meeting with Kremlin kompromats. Trump regularly calls it “the Russia Hoax”; a term that conveniently blurs the line between real concerns about foreign interference and the baseless garbage that got printed. And while I know the dossier wasn’t written by journalists, I also know major outlets repeated and amplified it before verifying the facts. That’s the part no one likes to talk about. It’s why I understand better than most how high the stakes are when a publication gets it wrong. Which brings us back to the Wall Street Journal. The real question here isn’t about the card or the dollar figure. It’s about editorial judgment. Murdoch’s team had a choice in how they handled this story; and they blew it. There’s no new scandal here. No revelation of criminal activity. Just an old note, allegedly from Trump to Epstein, before Epstein was exposed for the predator he was. It’s not flattering, but it’s not front-page news either. So why run it? And more importantly, why now? Murdoch’s empire might argue it was newsworthy. But let’s not pretend they weren’t fully aware of the political implications. They had to know Trump wouldn’t let it slide. That he’d punch back. And now they’re staring down a $10 billion lawsuit with real teeth; not necessarily in the courtroom, but in the court of political retribution. Because Trump, as President, holds the keys to access. To the press room. To the exclusive interviews. To the inside track that publications like the Journal thrive on. And he’s not shy about locking out the people who cross him. Ask CBS. Ask ABC. Ask the outlets who’ve watched their reporting privileges evaporate under his vengeful gaze. This lawsuit? It’s more than a legal maneuver. It’s a message. To Murdoch. To Fox. To NBC. To anyone in the media world who thinks they can step out of line without consequence. Fall in; or fall off the map. But here’s my prediction: the Journal, like others before it, will eventually settle. Not publicly. Not with a retraction. But with some behind-the-scenes gesture; maybe a generous “contribution” to Trump’s future presidential library. It’ll be packaged as mutual respect, with no admission of fault. Just another quiet transaction in today’s world of political media warfare. The irony is thick. Murdoch built this monster. His media machine amplified Trump’s rise, repeated his lies, and now finds itself on the receiving end of the same tactics it once celebrated. And in a sad twist, this isn’t even the first time Murdoch’s empire has walked into a billion-dollar trap; just ask Dominion Voting Systems. Look, I’m not here to defend Trump. That’s not what this post is about. But I’m also not blind to how the media often creates its own problems. The press plays an essential role in democracy, but that role comes with responsibility. When you play fast and loose with facts; or prioritize clickbait over context, you open the door for people like Trump to walk right in with a lawsuit and a smirk. So the question isn’t whether Trump’s lawsuit has merit. It’s whether the Journal gave him the opening he needed. Because when the news becomes the story, and the media forgets the weight of its words, the consequences aren’t just legal; they’re democratic. And in the end, we all pay for that. ____________________________________________________________________________ YOU ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED TO DO NOTHING! SUBSCRIBE. READ. RESTACK. SHARE DO IT NOW!!! If you’re reading this, then you already know: We’re not here to observe. We’re here to confront. To expose. To drag corruption out into the light and hold it accountable. But the truth? I can’t do this without you. Not anymore. The fight ahead isn’t theoretical. It’s here. It’s now. And it’s relentless. We’re staring down the barrel of authoritarianism wrapped in a flag and selling freedom as a brand. So let me ask you—Are you in? Because this isn’t a passive read. This is a movement. And movements need muscle. We need to build something so loud, so unshakable, that no one can twist it, spin it, or shut it down. That takes real support—not clicks, not likes. Commitment. If you believe in truth, if you’re tired of watching the liars win, if you’re done shouting into the void, then it’s time to take the next step. HERE’S HOW YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE: Become a paid subscriber… support real journalism with bite. Forward this to the people who never sit quietly. Bring your crew. Grow this community. Be the megaphone. And yes, for the first 240 Founding Members, I’ll be sending a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of my New York Times bestseller, Revenge. It’s not just a collector’s item. It’s proof you stood up when history came calling. But this isn’t about a book. You want to make a difference? Because if we don’t fight for truth—no one will. Let’s be impossible to ignore. |
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