President Donald Trump asked a federal judge to order Rupert Murdoch to give a sworn statement soon due to his advanced age.
The president has sued the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal for $10 billion over its reporting about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and he wants the 94-year-old media baron to sit for a deposition on the matter as quickly as possible.
"First, Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares, and is presumed to live in New York, New York," the court filing states. "Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial."
Trump's lawyers asked the federal court in Miami, Florida, to compel Murdoch to testify within 15 days, in part due to his advanced age.
The president sued the Journal last week, a day after it reported that Trump had signed a lewd birthday greeting for Epstein and suggesting they shared secrets together.
Dow Jones, the Journal's publisher, has said the newspaper stands by its reporting and would vigorously defend against the president's lawsuit.