Steve Bannon contends that the Wall Street Journal’s release of a purported letter from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein is an element of a scheme by Rupert Murdoch to undermine the president.

The ex-White House advisor voiced this opinion on his War Room show prior to Trump initiating a $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, Murdoch, and the journalists concerned.

‘Last night, we saw it in all its ugliness. The Murdochs hate Trump,’ Bannon said. 

‘The Murdochs have a goal to bring down Trump. This is why, regarding the Epstein issue and other matters like addressing the deep state, we must consistently take the offensive.’

He cited ‘senior sources working with’ the president in saying they published ‘a phony letter.’ 

Bannon claimed that the Wall Street Journal is the arm of Murdoch’s media empire – which includes WSJ, Fox News and The New York Post – he uses specifically to attack Trump.  

‘They used the New York Post as more of a populist entity,’ Bannon said. ‘And of course, Fox News is for RINOs. But the Wall Street Journal is the neoliberal neocon sharp end of the stick that they come after Trump. And last night they tried to actually destroy him with what looks like a phony and fake letter.’

He went further, calling the letter an attempted ‘kill shot on President Trump because he had the stones to stand up to the Murdochs.’  

Bannon advised Attorney General Pam Bondi to release ‘all of the evidence’ regarding Epstein. 

Steve Bannon (pictured left) believes that the Wall Street Journal’s publishing of an alleged letter from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein is part of a Rupert Murdoch plot to take down the president

The former White House advisor made the claim on his War Room broadcast before Trump (pictured) filed a $10billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, Murdoch and the reporters involved

‘In fact, we made the recommendations that are the best for President Trump in this movement, which is President Trump is best when it’s attack, attack, attack,’ he said.

Bannon predicted the lawsuit would be ‘incredible’ and reveled in getting Murdoch to testify. 

‘He can’t wait to get Rupert Murdoch on the stand. You know, Murdoch swore us, you know, squirmed out of having to do the Dominion thing because of the emails that Rupert Murdoch said were going to make Trump a non-person, a non-person, but he ain’t going to get out of this one.’ 

Bannon later shared various clips he saw as the press attacking the president unfairly. 

Trump followed through on his promise to sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner Murdoch for $10billion after the paper reported on his alleged involvement with the birthday gift to Jeffrey Epstein.

The filing, obtained by DailyMail.com, shows the libel suit filed in the Southern District of Florida against WSJ, Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch and the paper’s reporters who published the story in what Trump called a ‘powerhouse’ suit on Truth Social. 

Trump is requesting a jury trial and is suing ‘for damages, punitive damages, court costs, and such other relief as the Court deems just and proper, not to be less than $10 billion dollars.’

A bombshell report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday claimed Trump wrote a ‘bawdy’ 50th birthday card to Epstein which concluded: ‘Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret’. 

Trump (pictured left in 1997) followed through on his promise to sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner Murdoch for $10billion after the paper reported on his alleged involvement with the birthday gift to Jeffrey Epstein (pictured right)

Bannon predicted the lawsuit would be ‘incredible’ and reveled in getting Murdoch (pictured left with Trump in 2016) to testify

The newspaper said it had reviewed a typewritten letter bearing Trump´s signature, framed by the seemingly hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, that Ghislaine Maxwell included in a 2003 birthday album. 

Trump has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, calling it ‘false, malicious, and defamatory.’

He posted to Truth Social Friday: ‘We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS “article” in the useless “rag” that is, The Wall Street Journal. This historic legal action is being brought against the so-called authors of this defamation, the now fully disgraced WSJ, as well as its corporate owners and affiliates, with Rupert Murdoch and Robert Thomson (whatever his role is!) at the top of the list.’ 

Trump cited his successes against ABC News and CBS News’ 60 Minutes in prior lawsuits.

He added: ‘This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media. I hope Rupert and his “friends” are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ 

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Wall Street Journal for comment.  

In the text, the paper claimed Trump wrote: ‘We have certain things in common, Jeffrey’ and that both of them know that ‘there must be more to life than having everything’.

The message is said to have included an X-rated drawing of a naked woman, with Trump’s famous signature squiggle written across her genitals to mimic pubic hair. 

Trump has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, calling it ‘false, malicious, and defamatory’

Bannon advised Attorney General Pam Bondi to release ‘all of the evidence’ regarding Epstein

Trump said the letter, written in 2003, is ‘fake’.

According to the Journal, the naked woman appeared to have been hand-drawn with a marker, with a pair of arcs indicating the woman’s breasts and a squiggly signature reading ‘Donald’ appearing in her pubic region, mimicking hair. 

‘I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women,’ Trump told the WSJ. ‘It’s not my language. It’s not my words.’

But it once again raises questions about the friendship between Trump and Epstein.