Epstein fallout latest: Trump threatens to sue WSJ and orders release of grand jury testimony
'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday. 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!'
It's unclear whether a judge would approve such a request or if the release of that material would appease Trump supporters demanding to see all of the files the government has on Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody awaiting trial.
The post came less than an hour after Trump vowed to sue the Wall Street Journal over a report that he sent Epstein a racy birthday letter in 2003.
In a separate Truth Social post, the president said that he personally warned the newspaper's owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its editor, Emma Tucker, that the letter was 'FAKE' before the report was published and called the story 'false, malicious, and defamatory.'
What did the WSJ report say?
According to the Journal, Trump's letter, along with dozens of others, was part of a leather-bound book put together by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell for the disgraced financier's 50th birthday.
'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' Trump's letter concluded in a typewritten message to Epstein, per the Journal.
The text was 'framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with heavy marker,' the report stated. '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 president responded in another Truth Social post after the Journal's story was published.
"These are not my words, not the way I talk,' Trump wrote. 'Also, I don't draw pictures."
How did we get here?
Epstein has long been the focus of unfounded conspiracy theories, pushed by some of Trump's prominent supporters, which claim the late financier was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret 'client list.'
During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein. And when Trump took office earlier this year, he directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of the evidence collected on Epstein.
Appearing on Fox News in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.'
'That's been a directive by President Trump,' she added.
But last week, the DOJ and FBI released a two-page joint memo, concluding Epstein 'committed suicide in his cell' and had no 'client list.'
What was the reaction to the memo?
The memo angered some high-profile MAGA loyalists — including Tucker Carlson, former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and far-right provocateur Laura Loomer — and led to a reported rift between Bondi and high-ranking FBI officials.
Last weekend, Trump released a lengthy statement expressing his frustration over the Epstein saga.
'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again.
'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World,' he added. 'Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
Then on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his supporters while repeatedly referring to the case as 'the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.'
'My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker,' the president fumed in a Truth Social post. 'All these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.'
What has Trump said about his relationship with Epstein?
The Journal report also put a spotlight on the president's past relationship with Epstein.
'I've known Jeff for 15 years,' Trump told New York Magazine for a 2002 profile of Epstein. 'Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.'
In 2019, after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, the president distanced himself, saying he was 'not a fan.'
'Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,' Trump told reporters following Epstein's arrest. 'I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan."
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