Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jul 18: US President Donald Trump has lashed out at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), threatening to file a lawsuit against the publication over a controversial story linking him to the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The report alleges that Trump penned a lewd letter to Epstein featuring a nude drawing and birthday wishes.
Terming the WSJ article “false, malicious, and defamatory,” Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Thursday and declared that he would be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
“The Editor of The Wall Street Journal was told directly by (White House press secretary) Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE… But they went ahead with a hit job anyway,” Trump posted, accusing the media of fabricating sources and narratives.
The controversial letter, reportedly part of a collection given to Epstein on his 50th birthday in 2003, allegedly contains typed text enclosed within a marker-drawn outline of a naked woman. According to the WSJ, the drawing bears a squiggly signature reading "Donald" in place of pubic hair, ending with the note: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump strongly denied any connection to the letter or its contents. “This is not me. This is a fake thing… I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language,” he told WSJ in a statement.
The report comes amid ongoing controversies about Trump's historical association with Epstein, whose death by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 remains a source of deep suspicion and conspiracy among segments of the American public—particularly the far-right, which has long claimed a cover-up involving high-profile names.
Adding fuel to the fire, the recent firing of Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI director James Comey, from her post as assistant US attorney in Manhattan, has triggered further speculation. Comey had previously led the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s long-time associate, who allegedly compiled the infamous leather-bound book of birthday notes.
Reacting to the WSJ story, Republican Vice President JD Vance slammed the publication, stating, “Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it?”
Meanwhile, Democrat Pat Ryan stoked political tension with his post on X: “I think we now know EXACTLY why Donald Trump refuses to release the Epstein files.”
As the storm intensifies around the Epstein saga, Trump’s threat to take legal action may mark the beginning of yet another high-profile courtroom battle, further deepening the rift between the former president and the American media establishment.