Trump furious over leaked Epstein letter, threatens to sue Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal reported that a collection of letters gifted to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 on the occasion of his 50th birthday included a note bearing Donald Trump's name, alongside a lewd drawing.

According to the newspaper, which reviewed the letter, the note referenced the accompanying illustration and read: “Happy Birthday, and may each day hold another marvelous secret.”

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Trump denied writing the letter or creating the drawing and threatened to sue the newspaper if it published the report.

According to the paper, Trump claimed: “I’ve never drawn anything in my life. That’s not my language; those aren’t my words.”

Reacting to the report on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that he had instructed former Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any grand jury testimony, subject to court approval.

He also posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying he was ready to do so on Friday, July 18, although legal approval for such a move would likely take far longer.

Trump further stated that he plans to sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner, claiming that both he and White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt had warned them the letter was fake.

J.D. Vance, the U.S. Vice President, also reacted to the matter on social media, calling the report “complete nonsense.”

The Wall Street Journal’s report is likely to fuel further scrutiny over how Trump handled the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Epstein case — a case that has stirred unrest among Trump’s support base and occupied the White House’s attention for days.

Epstein, the financier and businessman with connections to numerous politicians and public figures, was charged in 2019 with child sex trafficking in Florida and New York. His body was later found in his jail cell while awaiting trial.

Medical examiners ruled his death a suicide, but the circumstances have fueled numerous conspiracy theories ever since.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice reiterated in a memo that Epstein did, in fact, commit suicide and that there is no such thing as an “Epstein client list.” The department also announced it would not be releasing any further documents related to the case.

This statement angered some of Trump’s influential supporters who had believed the U.S. government would eventually make all Epstein files public.

Since then, Trump has angrily dismissed those reactions and accused his supporters of falling for a distraction. He has called on Republicans to drop the matter entirely.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the letter bearing Trump’s name was part of a birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate who was later convicted of child sex trafficking in connection with Epstein.

The newspaper reported that Maxwell had collected letters from Trump and dozens of others for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

This album later became part of the evidence reviewed by the Department of Justice during its investigation into Epstein several years ago.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Trump was photographed multiple times with Epstein and was among the individuals named in Epstein’s private jet flight logs.