Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, 1997.(Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
TheDonald Trump administration has been on the choppin’ block all July in connection with Jeffrey Epstein!First, the handling of records related to Epstein caused an uproar, particularly from Trump and MAGA supporters. His administration promised an expos that didn’t happen, and from the looks of it, probably never will. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal stirred the pot with a birthday letter they claim he gifted Epstein. In response, President Trump not only threatened to sue the outlet but also seemingly backtracked on the Epstein files release.
President Donald Trump promised a lawsuit after the WSJ described a sexually suggestive letter that allegedly had his name on it. Additionally, the outlet said the letter was in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly collected the letter as part of a birthday album for Epstein. This was years before the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump.
According to WSJ, the letter’s words were written inside the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman. The note reportedly ends with, “Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
WSJ only described what was in the letter, but did not publish a photo showing it entirely. Cops arrested Ghislaine Maxwell in 2020 and, a year later, a jury convicted her of helping lure girls to Epstein for sexual abuse.
President Trump slammed WSJ’s story in a lengthy Truth Social post on Thursday night, calling it “false, malicious, and defamatory.”He saidhe spoke to the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its top editor, Emma Tucker, and told them the letter was “fake.” Trump promised to sue the paper over the story, saying: “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.”
The president also went off in other posts on Truth Social, explaining that he had already denied the letter was authentic on Tuesday night to the Journal. Keep scrolling to see those posts.
“I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women,” he allegedly told WSJ on Tuesday. “Its not my language. Its not my words.”
Vice President JD Vance said The Wall Street Journal “should be ashamed” for publishing it. “Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?” he wrote on X.
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s ties have been well-documented. Despite speculations, the president has not been accused of misconduct concerning their social relationship. In a 2016 deposition in the Epstein case, an accuser recalled spending several hours with Epstein at Trump’s Atlantic City casino. However, she didn’t say whether she met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing.
In 2019, NBC News released video footage showing Donald and Jeffrey chatting at a party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 1992. The video, recorded when Trump was newly divorced, shows him surrounded by young women. NBC identified the women as cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills. The video also depicts the two men standing and gesturing at the women on the dance floor.
“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” Trump said when the video emerged in 2019. “He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling-out with him a long time ago. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him for 15 years.”
For years, Donald collected support from people who leaned into claims that Jeffrey Epstein’s death was a cover-up for his wealthy friends. Epstein died by suicide in 2019, awaiting trial on federal charges of trafficking underage girls.
Trump’s tune suddenly changed when the Justice Department revealed last week that they found no Epstein “client list.” Additionally, the agency said it had released all files related to him and his case.Remember that months before, Bondi handed out binders to conservative influencers at the White House with the words “Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “the most transparent administration.” Then, they continued to hype the forthcoming, but never-happening release. Ultimately,the sudden switch didn’t sit well with the president’s fanbase and said influencers.
In recent days, Donald Trump has dealt with the fallout with insults and another switch-up. He slammed his supporters as “weaklings” earlier this week. Trump called the files a “hoax” and tried to place the blame on Democrats. He accused former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and former FBI Director James Comey without evidence of making up such documents.
With the alleged birthday letter in play on Thursday, Trump publicly directed AG Pam Bondi to try to make some of the documents in the case public. Bondi said she would seek court permission Friday to release grand jury information. However, this release would require a judge’s approval. Moreover, she and Trump were silent on the additional evidence that the federal law enforcement collected in the investigation.
Associated Press Staff Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Seung Min Kim, and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
