Trump threatens to sue WSJ over ‘lewd letter' to Epstein
The alleged letter was reportedly part of a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 and included a crude drawing of a nude woman, according to the Journal's exclusive report on Thursday.
'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' the report described, without explaining how the outlet obtained what it claimed was a previously unreleased Department of Justice file.
The paper acknowledged that Trump strongly denied the allegation, but went ahead with publication. '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,' the Journal quoted Trump as saying.
Several hours after the story broke, Trump accused Murdoch and WSJ Editor Emma Tucker of deliberately spreading 'defamatory lies.'
'The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter… was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
He described the 'once great' paper as a 'disgusting and filthy rag' that was desperately trying to 'stay relevant.' Trump vowed to sue the WSJ, News Corp., and Murdoch 'shortly,' citing his history of successful lawsuits against major media outlets.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He allegedly hanged himself in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long been the subject of public skepticism.
Earlier this week, Trump responded to growing criticism over his administration's handling of the Epstein case, claiming that only 'stupid people' still demand access to the sex offender's alleged 'client list.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
2 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Kremlin reveals details of Putin-Trump summit
The summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday will focus not only on the Ukraine conflict but on a broader security agenda and involve several top Russian officials, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov has said. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Warhawk senator threatens US with divine punishment
US Senator Lindsey Graham has called against any weakening of American aid to Israel, threatening the country with divine retribution. The Republican senator made the remarks at the 58th annual Silver Elephant Gala, a major party fundraiser held in South Carolina over the weekend, and shared his speech with a broader audience on social media on Wednesday. Graham showered praise on Israel for purportedly abstaining from committing 'genocide' in Gaza despite being in full capacity to do so. 'Israel is our friend. They are the most reliable friend we have in the Middle East. They are a democracy, surrounded by people who would cut their throats if they could,' Graham claimed, adding that somehow weakening support to Israel would result in a divine punishment for America. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. The senator's remarks come shortly after Israel announced a plan to occupy Gaza City in the north of the Palestinian enclave, one of the few areas of the Strip the Israeli military does not control. The scheme, touted by Israel as a roadmap to 'concluding the war' with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been dragging on for nearly two years, has received an overwhelmingly negative reaction in the West. The occupation plan has been condemned by multiple international organizations and countries, save for the US, which effectively provided no reaction to the announcement. Shortly before the plan was unveiled, US President Donald Trump said it was 'pretty much up to Israel' whether to fully occupy the enclave. Graham, a strong longtime backer of Israel, had previously called for a full occupation of Gaza, insisting that there was no other resolution to the hostilities to satisfy West Jerusalem. 'They're going to do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin: take the place by force and start over again,' Graham said in late July, suggesting that Washington, the mediator in the stalled Israel-Hamas peace process, actually believed that there was no way 'to negotiate an end of this war' either.
Russia Today
14 hours ago
- Russia Today
Why both sides want the Putin-Trump Alaska summit to succeed
On Friday, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in Alaska. This will be the first full-scale Russia-US summit since June 2021 in Geneva, and the first official visit by a Russian president to American soil since Dmitry Medvedev's trip in 2010 at the height of the 'reset.' It will also be the first time the leaders of Russia and the US have met in Alaska, the closest US state to Russia, separated only by the narrow Bering Strait, and once part of the Russian Empire. The symbolism is obvious: as far as possible from Ukraine and Western Europe, but as close as possible to Russia. And neither Zelensky nor the EU's top brass will be in the room. The message could not be clearer – Moscow and Washington will make the key decisions on Ukraine, then inform others later. As Trump has said, 'they hold all the cards.' The Alaska summit marks a sharp departure from the Biden years, when even the idea of such a meeting was unthinkable and Washington's priority was isolating Russia. Now, not only will Putin travel to Alaska, but Trump is already planning a return visit to Russia. Moderate optimism surrounds the meeting. Summits of this type are rarely held 'just to talk'; they usually cap a long process of behind-the-scenes negotiations. The idea for this one emerged after three hours of talks in Moscow on August 6 between Putin and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described Washington's offer as 'very acceptable.' That suggests Putin and Trump will arrive in Alaska with a preliminary deal – or at least a framework for a truce – already in place. Trump has good reason to want the summit to succeed. His effort to squeeze Moscow by pushing China and India to stop buying Russian oil has backfired badly. Far from isolating Russia, it triggered the worst US-India crisis in 25 years and drove New Delhi even closer to Moscow. It also encouraged a thaw between India and China, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi now set to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin. BRICS, which Trump has openly vowed to weaken, has only grown more cohesive. The Alaska summit is Trump's chance to escape the trap he built for himself – trying to pressure Moscow through Beijing and New Delhi – and to show results on Ukraine that he can sell as a diplomatic victory. For Moscow, a successful summit would be a powerful demonstration that talk of 'isolation' is obsolete – even in the West. It would cement Russia's standing with the 'global majority' and highlight Western Europe's diminished influence. The transatlantic split would widen, weakening Brussels' claim to be Russia's toughest opponent. Most importantly, Washington today has little real leverage over Russia, especially on Ukraine. If the summit yields a joint Russian–American vision for a truce or settlement, it will inevitably reflect Moscow's position more than Kiev's or Brussels'. And if the Western Europeans try to derail it, the US could pull the plug on all aid to Ukraine – including intelligence support – accelerating Kiev's defeat. Not everyone in Russia is cheering. Many prominent 'Z'-aligned war correspondents see the war as unfinished and oppose any truce. But they have been asked to stick to the official line. If the Alaska meeting produces a deal, they will be expected to back it – or at least use 'cooling' language for their audiences. The Kremlin is betting it can manage this dissent. Western Europe, for its part, will be watching from the sidelines. Its leaders are 'scrambling' for scraps of information via secondary channels. The optics will underline a humiliating reality: for the first time in almost a century, decisions about Europe's security will be made without the likes of Italy, France and Germany in the room. The location hints at other agenda items. Arctic economic cooperation, largely frozen since 2014, could be revived. Both sides stand to gain from joint development in the far north, and a deal here would be politically symbolic – proof that the two countries can work together despite the baggage of the last decade. Arms control will also be on the table. Moscow's recent decision to end its unilateral moratorium on deploying intermediate-range missiles was almost certainly timed to influence the talks. Strategic stability after the New START Treaty expires in February 2026 will be a central concern. If Alaska delivers, it could reshape the conflict in Ukraine and the broader Russia-US relationship. A joint settlement plan would marginalize Kiev and Brussels, shift the diplomatic center of gravity back to Moscow and Washington, and reopen channels for cooperation on global issues – from the Arctic to arms control. If it fails – if Trump bends to last-minute EU pressure – Moscow will continue fighting, confident that US involvement will fade. Either way, Russia's position is stronger than it was two years ago. What's different now is that the two powers with 'all the cards' are finally back at the same table – and Western Europe is on the outside looking in.
