President Donald Trump offered The Wall Street Journal’s owner Rupert Murdoch a suggestion about the newspaper’s editorial leadership on Friday.
The president posted on Truth Social, “I highly recommend Keith Poole, who is the very successful Editor-in-Chief of the New York Post, to take over the entire operation of the highly inaccurate, ‘China Centric,’ Wall Street Journal. It’s an easy move for Rupert, and he’ll love the results. Such a change would be a GREAT DAY for America, but not a Great Day for China!”
Murdoch, a global media mogul with a net worth of approximately $19 billion, also owns the New York Post as part of his News Corp media holdings.
Newsweek reached out to News Corp for comment via email Friday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Trump is known for being vocal in his views on the media, particularly legacy newspapers and TV news channels, which he often claims are out to get him. Since his return to the White House in January, the administration has been quick to point out headlines and stories it does not agree with, sharing them on social media.
What To Know
Trump’s Truth Social post comes a few days after the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board published an article on Wednesday denouncing the president’s plans on expanding drug price controls as the “worst idea since tariffs.”
The piece was the latest in a string of articles from the publication that have been viewed as critical of the administration, in particular its policies on trade and the economy.
Over the weekend, Trump called the Journal a “rotten” newspaper and refused to take questions from one of its reporters on Air Force One, claiming the paper was “China oriented.”
The current editor-in-chief of the Journal is Emma Tucker who took up the role in 2023. There has been no announcement that she would be stepping down, but Trump’s post reflected his ongoing dissatisfaction with the newspaper.
Other News Corp brands, including the Post and Fox News, are generally seen as leaning to the right and favoring the Republican Party, and in particular the president himself, who has frequently appeared on the news channel in person or via phone.
Murdoch and the president have had a complicated relationship over the years. Murdoch reportedly offered Trump advice during his 2016 campaign, but the relationship cooled somewhat when his outlets were critical of the president’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
President Donald Trump speaks as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and media mogul Rupert Murdoch listen in the Oval Office on February 3 in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump speaks as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and media mogul Rupert Murdoch listen in the Oval Office on February 3 in Washington, D.C.
Associated Press
What People Are Saying
New York Post contributor Steven Mosher wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “As a semi-regular contributor to the New York Post, I know that Keith Poole would quickly turn around the failing Wall Street Journal. WSJ reporters and editors suffering from TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome] need to be shown the door.”
Kareem Rifai, a member of the think tank American Enterprise Institute, wrote on his personal X account with 60K followers: “Calling the Wall Street Journal ‘China Centric’ would be like calling Russia Today ‘Ukraine Centric.'”
What Happens Next?
Trump’s post about the Journal was followed by complaints that MSNBC was spewing lies about his trade deal with the United Kingdom, while News Corp is yet to respond to the president’s suggestion.
Update 5/9/25, 1:44 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.