The Wall Street Journal has published the letter from Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday party, signed by Donald Trump – despite the president’s denial of its existence.
On Monday, House Oversight Committee members received a copy of Epstein’s birthday book that included the controversial letter. The WSJ reported in July that Trump contributed a suggestive entry in a leather-bound compilation of birthday messages for then-50-year-old “pal” Epstein in 2003, writing that “We have certain things in common” and “May every day be a new wonderful secret.”
“President Trump called the Epstein investigation a hoax and claimed that his birthday note didn’t exist. Now we know that Donald Trump was lying and is doing everything he can to cover up the truth,” Robert Garcia, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, said. “Enough of the games and lies, release the full files now.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, however, posted a number of screenshots of Trump’s signature, saying the one in the birthday book does not line up and that News Corp should get ready to “open that checkbook.”
The day after the initial WSJ report in July, Trump filed a lawsuit claiming libel against Rupert Murdoch and Dow Jones, WSJ’s publisher, seeking damages “not to be less than $10 billion dollars.” He also sued the story’s reporters, Joe Palazzolo and Khadeeja Safdar.
“I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time. “That will be an interesting experience!!!”
Trump also previously denied writing the birthday note in the original WSJ story, telling the outlet: “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women.” He added, “It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”
