President Donald Trump delivered warm words for media titan Rupert Murdoch during a lavish 95th birthday celebration in Manhattan on Saturday night — an appearance that raised eyebrows given the president’s ongoing $10 billion lawsuit against the News Corporation founder and his media empire.
The event, held at The Grill in Manhattan, drew a striking collection of political leaders, business magnates, and cultural figures. Photos from the gathering were captured by the New York Post and Breaker Media, offering a glimpse of a guest list that spanned politics, media, sports, and entertainment.
Murdoch attended the celebration alongside his wife, Elena Zhukova, and his son Lachlan Murdoch. Among the prominent attendees were Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, and former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
International political figures were also present, including former United Kingdom Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Rishi Sunak. The gathering underscored Murdoch’s decades-long influence across global politics and media, drawing powerful figures from both sides of the Atlantic.
The night also featured a strong showing from the sports world. Billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones attended, along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Other high-profile guests included billionaire IAC chairman and Daily Beast owner Barry Diller, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and legendary musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who has been identified as an associate of the late Jeffrey Epstein, was also present, along with former Formula One CEO Chase Carey.
Hollywood was represented as well. Actor Hugh Jackman provided entertainment during the evening, performing Frank Sinatra classics “New York, New York” and “Fly Me to the Moon” for the birthday honoree.
One of the evening’s more surprising developments involved members of the Trump family. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were photographed arriving at the venue by Breaker Media founder Lachlan Cartwright and photographer Jesse Ward.
Their presence was notable given the current legal battle between the president and Murdoch’s media organization. President Trump is suing Murdoch and News Corporation for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s publication of details surrounding a birthday card he allegedly sent to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
Trump has denied writing the card, which reportedly contained his signature and a drawing depicting the outline of a naked woman. Images of the card were later included in materials from the Epstein files released by the House Oversight Committee.
Despite that ongoing dispute, Trump offered generous praise for Murdoch during the celebration through a recorded video message.
According to the New York Post, Fox News anchor Bret Baier introduced the surprise tribute from the president during the party. In the video, Trump described Murdoch as “legendary” and “one of a kind,” praising him for what he called a career defined by “courage, vision, and determination.”
Trump added that Murdoch had “changed the world” over the course of his long career in media.
The cordial tone of the birthday tribute contrasted sharply with the president’s earlier rhetoric about the lawsuit. In July, Trump said he looked forward to questioning Murdoch directly in court.
“I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ,” Trump wrote at the time. “That will be an interesting experience!!!”
The night also included a moment of unexpected chaos when former News International CEO Les Hinton reportedly fell to the floor after sitting in a broken chair.
For all its star power and celebration, the gathering served as a reminder that even in elite circles where politics, media, and business intersect, alliances and rivalries can exist side by side. At least for one evening, however, the focus remained on honoring a media figure whose influence has shaped public conversation for decades.
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