In a bombshell report, The Wall Street Journal revealed on July 17, 2025, details of a 2003 letter allegedly signed by President Donald Trump for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, sparking controversy with its inclusion of a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman.
Trump, denying authorship, has threatened to sue the Journal and its parent company, News Corp., calling the Trump-Epstein letter a “fake” and “defamatory” story, according to a Truth Social post.
The letter, part of a Justice Department review of Epstein-related documents, has reignited scrutiny of Trump’s ties to the late financier, with social media platforms like X buzzing with reactions.
The revelation of a 2003 letter purportedly from President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, published by The Wall Street Journal, has stirred intense debate, drawing attention to Trump’s past association with the convicted sex offender.
The letter, included in a leather-bound birthday album organised by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell for his 50th birthday, reportedly features typewritten text framed by a hand-drawn outline of a woman without clothes, with Trump’s signature as “Donald” below the waist, mimicking pubic hair.
The note, described as “bawdy,” includes a fictional dialogue between Trump and Epstein, concluding with, “Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has vehemently denied writing or drawing the letter, labelling it a “fake Wall Street Journal story” in a July 15 interview with the paper.
He escalated his response on Truth Social, stating he personally warned Journal editor Emma Tucker and owner Rupert Murdoch that publishing the story would lead to a lawsuit against the outlet, News Corp., and Murdoch himself.
“This is not me. It’s not my language,” Trump insisted, claiming the letter’s style doesn’t align with his communication. Vice President JD Vance and far-right activist Laura Loomer echoed his denial, with Vance calling the story “complete and utter bullshit” and Loomer asserting Trump “doesn’t type letters” but uses a Sharpie for notes.
The Trump-Epstein letter controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related files. The Department reviewed the letter as part of its investigation into Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
A July 6, 2025, Justice Department memo concluded there was no “client list” or evidence of Epstein blackmailing prominent individuals, prompting backlash from Trump’s MAGA base, who expected more transparency.
The memo’s findings, coupled with the Journal’s report, have fueled speculation about Trump’s ties to Epstein, with @Independent noting the “bombshell” nature of the letter’s reveal.
Epstein, a financier who socialised with high-profile figures like Trump, Bill Clinton, and Les Wexner, was a fixture in elite circles during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Trump, photographed with Epstein at Mar-a-Lago in 1997, once called him a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York Magazine interview, though he later claimed they had a falling out over a land deal before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor.
The Journal’s report, citing documents examined by Justice Department officials, notes that the birthday album also included letters from figures like Alan Dershowitz and Wexner, adding context to Epstein’s extensive network.
The timing of the report has exacerbated tensions within Trump’s base, already frustrated by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision not to release additional Epstein files.
Bondi, who in February 2025 suggested a “client list” was under review, later clarified no such list existed, prompting accusations of a cover-up.
Citizens called the Justice Department’s stance a “shameful coverup,” while conservative influencers like Charlie Kirk expressed doubt about the letter’s authenticity, stating, “This is not how Trump talks.”
The controversy has also drawn Democratic criticism, with Representative Sean Casten tweeting, “Like all things Trump, this is simultaneously disgusting and entirely unsurprising.”
For those seeking Trump-Epstein controversy updates, the Journal’s story has amplified calls for transparency. Trump’s directive to Bondi to release “credible” grand jury testimony, subject to court approval, aims to quell the backlash, but the process could take time.
Meanwhile, the firing of prosecutor Maurene Comey, who worked on Epstein’s case, has raised questions, though no direct link to the letter has been confirmed. The incident shows the ongoing fascination with Epstein’s ties to powerful figures, with people reflecting a divide between those defending Trump and those demanding full disclosure.
