logo
Trump's name on 50th-birthday letter to Epstein, Wall Street Journal reports

Trump's name on 50th-birthday letter to Epstein, Wall Street Journal reports

Globe and Mail18-07-2025
Donald Trump's name appeared on a risque 2003 personal note to Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The U.S. president responded that the letter was fake.
The Journal reported that the letter was one of several included in a leather-bound album meant to celebrate Epstein's 50th birthday, about three years before sex-abuse allegations emerged against the financier.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the letter.
Trump quickly responded to the story on his Truth Social platform, saying he would sue the newspaper and Rupert Murdoch, who controls its publisher, News Corp.
'The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,' Trump wrote. 'President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly.'
A spokesperson for the Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones & Co, declined to comment on its story or Trump's threat to sue. Representatives for News Corp and Murdoch could not immediately be reached for comment.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Trump orders release of grand jury testimony in Epstein case
The White House has been roiled by questions about disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein, after the Justice Department this month concluded that there was no evidence to support a number of long-held conspiracy theories about his clients and 2019 death in prison.
Attorney-General Pam Bondi had pledged months earlier to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including 'a lot of names' and 'a lot of flight logs.'
Some Trump supporters have demanded the release of more information on Epstein, causing a rare fracture within his base of support. Trump has pushed back.
'It's all been a big hoax,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, as calls increased for the release of more information on Epstein's clients.
The Journal said the letter, bearing Trump's name, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. The newspaper said the letter concludes 'Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,' and featured the signature 'Donald.'
Vice President JD Vance responded to the story on X, saying, 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it.'
Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006 - after the birthday book was compiled - and he was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal. Epstein died in 2019 in jail after he was arrested a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next

Toronto Star

time16 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process.

The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next

Winnipeg Free Press

time16 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Subpoena for the Epstein files Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing 'un-redacted Epstein files.' As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that 'Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want.' Will Congress depose Ghislaine Maxwell? Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer — or not answer — questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. 'We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. The House wants to subpoena others Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, 'We're going to move quickly on that.' How will Pam Bondi comply? Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena 'depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.' If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Growing pressure on the Trump adminitration for disclosure Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. 'We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,' said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files. ___

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store