WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said on Tuesday the Wall Street Journal and its billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch want to settle the US president`s defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.

On July 18, Trump sued the Journal and its owners, including Murdoch, over a story, which said Trump`s name was on a birthday greeting for late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets.

`I`ve been treated badly by the Wall Street Journal. I would have assumed that Rupert Murdoch controls it, but, you know, maybe does, maybe doesn`t,` Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

`They are talking to us about doing something but we`ll see what happens. Maybe they would like us to drop that, so we`ll see...

yeah, they`re having, they want to settle it, he said, adding, `when I get treated unfairly, I do things about it.

Trump`s lawsuit called the alleged birthday greeting `fake` and said the Journal published its article to harm the president`s reputation.

In a court filing on Monday, Trump asked a US court to order a swift deposition for Murdoch. The Wall Street Journal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.-Reuters