President Donald Trump said he plans to sue the Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported he sent convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday letter in 2003.
In a post on Truth Social, published as the Wall Street Journal released the article, President Trump claimed the letter was fake. He also said Rupert Murdoch had been personally warned not to publish the story, and that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, telling her it was fake.
"President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly," the president posted on Truth Social. "The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don’t even exist."
The Wall Street Journal reported the letter was part of a 50th birthday gift Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing for Epstein. The newspaper said it was one of dozens collected and placed in an album.
According to the report, President Trump’s letter included “typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman,” along with his signature. It read: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
President Trump is quoted in the article denying that he wrote it.
“I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words,” Trump told the WSJ.
The Wall Street Journal story comes amid ongoing fallout from a Department of Justice and FBI memo stating that an exhaustive review of evidence in the Epstein investigation uncovered no “incriminating client list,” no evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals, and no grounds to charge any third parties.
That conclusion has triggered backlash from some of President Trump’s strongest supporters, who were led to believe that a so-called “client list” would be released under his administration.
In an apparent effort to address those concerns, President Trump said Thursday night on Truth Social he has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi “to produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony, subject to court approval.”
“This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” President Trump wrote.
Bondi later posted on X: “President Trump — we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.”
