Leadership Shift in Murdoch Empire Weakens Trump's Media Shield, According to Newsline Report

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report warns that President Donald Trump's political future is increasingly vulnerable following a leadership change at News Corp, as Lachlan Murdoch formally succeeds his father, Rupert Murdoch, at the helm of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and other flagship outlets.

The report, released this week by Newsline's Public Affairs & Geopolitics Division, finds that the Murdoch succession "reshapes the global conservative media landscape and weakens Trump's traditional shield." Once regarded as the Republican Party's unofficial communications hub, the direct line between Trump and the Murdoch family has effectively gone silent.

According to Jacobo Ramos Folch, Atlantic Council fellow and co-author of the report, "Murdoch has a long history of backing winners and discarding losers. The data show that Rupert's exit leaves Trump far more exposed to internal dissent within the empire."

The report highlights a turning point in July, when the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal published an explosive investigation linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein through a controversial birthday note. Trump's denial swiftly escalated into a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Murdoch, News Corp, and Journal reporters. Advisers told Newsline that Trump called Rupert Murdoch using the phrase "handle our problem," but the investigation—completed under Lachlan's supervision—was released as planned.

In September, the House Oversight Committee obtained Epstein's 50th-birthday album containing a letter signed "Donald." Forensic analysis cited in the report suggests it originated from Trump.

With Lachlan now confirmed as successor, Newsline's analysis describes a dual strategy: prioritizing print outlets like The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, while consolidating television under a more cautious Fox News that caters to Trump's base. This fragmented approach, the report concludes, "allows Murdoch media to undermine Trump while monetizing his controversies."

Internationally, The Times headlined "The Twilight of Trumpism," and The Australian reprinted the Journal's story, underscoring the global impact of Murdoch's pivot.

Newsline's report concludes that with Lachlan Murdoch now firmly in control, Trump's once-symbiotic relationship with the world's most powerful conservative media group has fractured—leaving him weaker, more isolated, and under intensified scrutiny at home and abroad.

SOURCE Newsline Communications and Public Affairs