On Monday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee publicly released a sexually suggestive letter purportedly signed by former President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier with whom Trump once had a friendly relationship. This letter was included in a 50th birthday album for Epstein compiled in 2003. The album featured other prominent names, such as former President Bill Clinton and attorney Alan Dershowitz, in a 'friends' section. Some letters within the album displayed sexually provocative language.
Trump has firmly denied writing the letter or creating the surrounding drawing, which depicts a curvaceous woman. In response to the release of this letter, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for its earlier reporting linking him to the controversial letter. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump, stating in a public statement that it is clear he did not create the drawing or sign the letter. She also mentioned that Trump’s legal team will continue to pursue litigation against similar reports.
Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich added to the defense, posting various images of Trump’s signature on social media, asserting that the signature on the letter is not Trump’s. As House Republicans exited the Capitol, many evaded questions about the letter, with Representative Byron Donalds of Florida affirming he had seen Trump sign many documents and confirming it was not his signature. Similarly, Representative Thomas Massie downplayed the letter's significance, claiming that possessing a birthday card from Trump does not aid survivors and victims in any meaningful way.
The emergence of this drawing and letter has intensified scrutiny on Trump's past friendship with Epstein, especially as the former president has faced mounting pressure to disclose more information regarding Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein faced accusations of luring underage girls for sexual abuse, while Maxwell was convicted for facilitating this abuse. Trump previously claimed he severed ties with Epstein two decades ago after he learned Epstein was 'stealing' young women, including Virginia Giuffre, a well-known accuser of Epstein.
The controversy resurfaced as lawmakers, including a bipartisan coalition led by Massie, sought to force the Justice Department to release its files associated with Epstein. Trump's past statements indicated a desire to open government records pertaining to Epstein, yet much of the information released so far was already in the public domain. The House Oversight Committee received the birthday album as part of a collection of documents submitted by Epstein's estate.
Trump has categorically denied writing the letter or drawing, labeling The Wall Street Journal’s coverage on the matter as 'false, malicious, and defamatory.' He emphasized that the words did not reflect his personal style or manner of speaking and claimed, 'I don’t draw pictures.'
The letter in question looks as described in The Wall Street Journal’s report, featuring Trump's name and what appears to be his signature, encased in a hand-drawn outline of a voluptuous woman. The content of the letter, featuring phrases such as 'A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – may every day be another wonderful secret,' has drawn significant attention amid ongoing discussions regarding the Epstein case.
The release also highlights the bipartisan calls within Congress for more transparency regarding the Epstein allegations amidst years of speculation and conspiracy theories. In August, the Justice Department began providing records from the Epstein investigation to the House Oversight Committee, which had previously subpoenaed documents from Epstein’s estate, including his last will, agreements with prosecutors, and other relevant records.
