Rupert Murdoch, the 94-year-old media mogul, is trying to walk a fine line with his stormy relationship with former President Donald Trump. Political dynamics keep changing quickly in their own respective spheres. Just last week, Murdoch was spotted explaining his presence among Trump’s exclusive high-profile guests at the FIFA Club World Cup final. This moment underscored their deepening relationship, even as tensions between them keep escalating.
Murdoch’s flagship print property, The Wall Street Journal, has stepped up over the last two years to regularly criticize Trump from a conservative POV. The Journal was critical of Trump’s tariff war with Canada and Mexico, dubbing this the “dumbest trade war in history.” This criticism highlights the publication’s skepticism about the economic effects of Trump’s policies, even as it recognizes his significant political draw among conservative voters.
When Trump was president, Murdoch visited him numerous times in the Oval Office. That suggests a good deal of friendship among them. The landscape has since changed. Murdoch would join a long and growing list of enemies Trump holds in the media. Already, he sees them as threats and has stopped short of threatening some with legal action. This recent change represents a deepening estrangement relationship that many industry stakeholders continue to watch very closely.
Just the other day, Trump made the same allegations, saying that Murdoch was asked to stop an article unfavorable to him, though to no avail. Indeed, this allegation illuminates the corrosive influence and extensive reach of Murdoch’s media empire on the far-left political discourse. While these two players may share an interesting history, Murdoch’s Journal hasn’t pulled any punches in attacking Trump’s actions. For instance, it took aim at Trump’s unconditional pardons for individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, positioning itself as a critical voice amidst Trump’s political maneuvers.
Moreover, the Journal scrutinized Trump’s approach to international relations, accusing him of “pleasing China’s Xi Jinping above a law passed by Congress” with what it termed the “illegal” suspension of a law that mandated TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This level of critique underscores the publication’s cautious stance towards Trump’s policies, even as Fox News, another Murdoch-owned entity, continues to provide supportive coverage of him.
Fox News has recently criticized Trump for launching new family crypto tokens, further complicating the media landscape surrounding the former president. Observers note that while The Wall Street Journal may represent a right-leaning political stance aware of Trump’s influence, it exhibits a level of skepticism regarding his economic decisions.
The recent relegation of the Epstein letter story to an opinion piece low on Murdoch’s network’s online homepage raises further questions about how Murdoch’s media outlets prioritize coverage. This move reflects an ongoing balancing act between editorial independence and the business imperatives that have always driven Murdoch’s decisions.
As one reader remarked, not being easily bullied is an essential quality for becoming a mogul. For decades, the Murdochs have made sure to keep their lessons learned. This brief comment reveals Murdoch’s avowedly combative brand of media and political engagement. Indeed, he has developed a “skin as thick as rhinoceros hide” throughout his career, making and breaking political figures along the way.