President Trump criticized the Washington Post, the New York Times and MS NOW at a private White House dinner Tuesday this week with Rupert Murdoch and other News Corp executives, telling them those outlets matter less than they once did and that their quality has “come down,” a source familiar with the event told Axios.
The dinner, held in the White House residence and described by the source as cordial, brought together the president and the leadership of the company that owns the Wall Street Journal while a $10 billion lawsuit between them remains unresolved. News Corp did not comment. The White House did not comment.
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| 'Cordial 'Dinner at TWH |
Trump asked about the Journal’s business and was told digital and print subscriptions were up, the source said. The group also discussed the Iran war, Venezuela, Cuba, immigration and tariffs, as well as the midterms and possible 2028 presidential candidates. Trump said he felt bullish about the midterms because he is now campaigning every day, and that it was too soon to decide whom he would support in 2028, according to the source.
The meeting comes amid a long legal fight. Trump sued the Journal for $10 billion in 2025 over a story describing a “bawdy” birthday letter bearing his name that was reportedly given to Jeffrey Epstein. A federal judge dismissed the defamation case in April; Trump filed an amended complaint in May, and the Journal moved again to dismiss it in June. The judge has not ruled on that motion.
Breaker reported that the dinner was meant to “reset the relationship” between the administration and the Journal. A separate source told Axios that dinners between Trump and Murdoch are fairly common and are often held simply to stay in touch, though this one stood out for the number of people involved.