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The Wall Street Journal on Monday published an image of what they claim is a crass birthday letter President Donald Trump gave to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — sparking swift pushback from Trump administration officials, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The text of the letter, allegedly from 2003, is laid over a drawing of a naked woman’s torso and is supposedly signed by President Trump, the report suggests. The image was provided to Congress by the Epstein estate in response to a subpoena.
Wall Street Journal
Leavitt rejected the report as “fake news,” and noted Trump’s lawsuit against the paper for its initial July report on the alleged birthday letter.
“The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false,” the press secretary posted to X. “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.”
Leavitt further commented on the apparent journalistic practices of the Journal before publishing the report. “The ‘reporter’ [Joe Palazzolo], who wrote this hatchet job, reached out for comment at the EXACT same minute he published his story giving us no time to respond.”
“This is FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!” she added.
The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire “Birthday Card” story is false.
As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.
President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 8, 2025
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said the signature on the card doesn’t match the president’s signature, and suggested media company News Corp was going to have to shell out big for “defamation.”
Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it’s not his signature. DEFAMATION! https://t.co/O6iKk4SYF5 pic.twitter.com/T0wlp36P9h
— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) September 8, 2025
Vice President JD Vance had a strong reaction, too, posting to X, “The Democrats don’t care about Epstein. They don’t even care about his victims. That’s why they were silent about it for years. The only thing they care about is concocting another fake scandal like Russiagate to smear President Trump with lies.”
“No one is falling for this BS,” he added.
The Democrats don’t care about Epstein. They don’t even care about his victims. That’s why they were silent about it for years. The only thing they care about is concocting another fake scandal like Russiagate to smear President Trump with lies.
No one is falling for this BS. https://t.co/u3pHgBtQDf
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 8, 2025
The Journal, back in July, reported on the contents of the letter. Trump quickly called the report phony and moved to take legal action against the paper.
A day after the report was published, the president filed a federal libel lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters. He’s suing for libel, assault, and slander.
“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 said in a Truth Social post at the time.
Trump said that Murdoch, owner of News Corp, “stated that he would take care of it.”
“But, obviously, did not have the power to do so,” Trump added.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, although Trump and Epstein were friendly for several years when they both lived in New York City, there is no evidence that Trump was involved in any of Epstein’s criminal wrongdoing. Epstein was not accused of sexual relations with young girls until 2005, about a year after Trump kicked him out of his Mar-a-Lago club and the two had a falling out.
Nathan Gay contributed to this report.
Related: Trump Files Massive Libel Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over ‘Fake’ Epstein Letter
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