The Wall Street Journal alleged on Thursday that a lewd personal note written to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 contained Donald Trump’s name. In response, the US President said the letter was fake.
The letter was one of dozens that were part of a leather-bound album intended to commemorate Epstein’s 50th birthday, approximately three years prior to the financier’s alleged sex abuse allegations, WSJ reported.
The authenticity of the letter could not be immediately confirmed by Reuters.
Trump took to his Truth Social account swiftly and reacted to the revelation by threatening to sue the newspaper and Rupert Murdoch, who owns News Corp, its publisher.
“The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly, he wrote.
Regarding the article and Trump’s lawsuit threat, a representative for the WSJ and its parent company, Dow Jones & Co, declined to comment. Murdoch and News Corp representatives were not immediately available for comment.
A request for comment from Reuters was not immediately answered by the White House.
After the Justice Department this month found no evidence to substantiate several long-held conspiracy theories regarding his clients and his 2019 death in prison, the White House has been rocked by enquiries over the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein.
A few months ago, Attorney General Pam Bondi had promised to make significant disclosures about Epstein, including “a lot of names” and “a lot of flight logs.”
There has been an unusual rift in Trump’s supporter base, as some have called for the release of additional information about Epstein, while Trump has resisted the attempt.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump told on Wednesday that “it’s all been a big hoax,” as demands for additional details about Epstein’s clients grew.
The letter, which bears Trump’s name, has multiple lines of typewritten text framed by a nude woman’s silhouette that looks to have been made by hand with a strong marker, WSJ claimed. The publication stated that the letter was signed “Donald” and that it ended with “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
In response to the X story, Vice President JD Vance wrote, “Pardon my language, but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it.”
Meanwhile, in a separate Truth Social post on Thursday night Trump said that he has instructed Bondi “produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony” related to Epstein, “subject to Court approval.”
Bondi took to X and replied saying they were ready to move the court on Friday “to unseal the grand jury transcripts.”
Following the compilation of the birthday book, Epstein was arrested in 2006 and later accepted a plea agreement after allegations surfaced that he had been sexually assaulting girls. After being arrested a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy, Epstein passed away in prison in 2019.