Rupert Murdoch is eyeing a JD Vance presidency in his final “kingmaker” act, as his papers prepare to go to war with Donald Trump, observers believe.
A private meeting between Murdoch and Vance, days before the President served the media mogul with a $10bn lawsuit over the Wall Street Journal’s reporting of Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, has prompted feverish speculation over the 94 year-old’s latest power-play.
The brittle relationship between the two most powerful figures in right-wing media and politics respectively may finally be severed following bitter exchanges over the report, denied by Trump, that the President provided a bawdy birthday letter to the sex offender.
Always personally sceptical of Trump and a vocal critic of the President’s tariffs, Murdoch’s recent actions suggest he is preparing to lend his weight to a new figurehead to lead the conservative Maga movement into a post-Trump era.
The ‘WSJ’ claimed Trump’s name appeared on a 2003 note to Epstein, sparking a row between the US President and the publication(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)The surprise arrival of Air Force Two in Butte, Montana, last month is now seen as a moment of particular significance.
A motorcade ferried Vance to the Murdoch family ranch in southwest Montana, where the VP met with Rupert, son Lachlan, head of Fox News and News Corp and other Fox News executives.
None of the parties present have disclosed what was discussed during the two-hour session.
Vance’s role as head of the Republican party’s fund-raising committee gives him the opportunity to meet potential donors, for both the 2026 mid-term elections and a future Presidential run.
The Veep clearly made a good impression in Montana. An “exclusive” story in Murdoch’s New York Post last week was headlined: “Vance a ‘shoo-in’ to win 2028 presidential election”, citing the latest bookies odds.
The presence of executives from Fox News, the jewel in Murdoch’s $28bn empire, suggests that the discussions touched on the future direction of the hugely-influential right-wing cable news network, which last week beat all other broadcast networks in prime-time.
“The Epstein files row split the Maga base but Fox News has remained personally loyal to Trump. There is hardly a critical word,” said one executive who has worked with Murdoch.
“There is no route to the White House for a Republican without Fox News. Vance will need to test the water with Murdoch, could that unshakeable support switch to him when he runs?”
Less capricious than Trump, Vance could be a more reliable partner for Murdoch, whose political philosophy places free trade above all else, and who used his leverage to build mutually advantageous relationships with previous Republican Presidents, including Ronald Reagan.
Rupert Murdoch in the Oval Office as President Trump signs executive orders on 3 February 2025 Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)The executive added: “Importantly for the Murdochs, if a politician comes to them early for support, then they have a hold over them. They never had that with Trump who was self-made and established his own power base.”
“Vance’s ‘hillbilly’ backstory will appeal to the aspirational Thatcherite values Rupert promotes in his papers.”
If the Murdoch-Trump feud continues – Rupert reportedly said that, at aged 94, he is not “intimidated” by anyone – then his media empire could help sell the Vice-President to Republican voters as Trump’s natural successor.
The Vance family’s proposed Summer holiday in the Cotswolds may help seal the deal. The VP is believed to be set on an August trip to the Oxfordshire rural locale known in the US as the “English Hamptons”.
Vance could immerse himself in the Chipping Norton set, whose residents include Rebekah Brooks, CEO of Murdoch’s News UK and Rupert’s TV executive daughter Elizabeth. Rupert himself splashed £30m in 2020 on a Banbury manor house he intended to do-up with former wife, Jerry Hall.
Installing Vance in the White House could be the final opportunity for Murdoch to exercise the “kingmaking” powers he has used to influence the election and governance of Presidents and Prime Ministers for decades.
But he could also be hedging his bets with some speculating the rift with Trump may not be terminal after all.
Trump has denied contributing a drawing of a naked woman to a 50th birthday album compiled for Epstein in 2003, calling it a “fake thing.”
When WSJ editor Emma Tucker stood by the paper’s story, Trump called Murdoch. Trump claimed: “Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.”
Allies of Murdoch say his journalistic instinct remains impervious to demands from powerful figures – telling him to drop a story would only make him dig his heels in and take the consequences.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to holiday in the UK this Summer (Getty Images)Trump has been emboldened by media giants caving in to his demands. CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — the top-rated late-night programme — just days after Colbert called his own network’s $16 million settlement with Trump over the editing of a Kamala Harris interview, “a big fat bribe.”
The White House barred the WSJ from the reporting pool covering the President’s visit to Scotland this weekend in what was seen as an act of retribution.
A senior Murdoch journalist said: “There is still a core to Rupert of wanting to break the big story and not caring who it upsets. Right now, there is no downside as he doesn’t have any business deals that need White House approval.”
Murdoch has healed previous ruptures with Trump. The President was furious with Fox News for calling the state of Arizona for Joe Biden in 2020, a key moment that signaled Trump’s defeat. Murdoch urged Trump not to run in 2024 and pushed Florida governor Ron DeSantis as an alternative.
As recently as February, Murdoch was invited to sit in the Oval Office whilst the President signed executive orders. Even then, Trump used the occasion to berate the billionaire over the WSJ’s critical editorials.
The journalist added: “Even if Rupert had to settle with Trump, it’s worth the fight. He still has his $24bn. Trump has to threaten to sue and Rupert will defend his papers. But Fox News and Trump still both need each other so this might not be the end of the road just yet.”
Vance, whose supporters include Conservative tech billionaire Peter Thiel, has been at pains to show his loyalty to Trump during the Epstein row, calling the WSJ article “complete and utter bulls**t.”
The Trump suit, seeking $10bn in libel damages, named The Wall Street Journal’s parent company and publisher, two reporters and two executives, including Murdoch by name.
Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal’s publisher, defended the Journal’s reporting, saying, “We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
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