Trump has sued Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over its July 17 article alleging the president sent a “bawdy” letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday, which included a drawing of a naked woman and Trump telling the late financier, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

The president’s legal team argued in a legal filing that discovery process for the media mogul should be expedited because of his age and health.

Murdoch opposes the request that he sit for an expedited deposition, according to the filing.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

Donald Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal has become a case study in the risks of fanning the flames of conspiracy theories.

On the surface, the effort to draw attention away from Epstein is glaring.