(ZeroHedge)—Donald Trump sent notorious sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy birthday letter with a drawing of a naked woman, an acknowledgement that the two “have certain things in common,” and a wish for “every day [to] be another wonderful secret,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday evening, citing “documents” that its reporters had reviewed.
Later on Thursday evening, Trump announced that he’d directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the release of grand jury testimony from Epstein’s prosecution, in response to the “ridiculous amount of publicity” the case is receiving.
Trump denies he had anything to do with the letter. “This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story,” Trump told the Journal in a Tuesday-evening interview. “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.” He vowed to take the paper to court if it published the story: “I’m gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else.”
Even if the letter is authentic, it’s far from conclusive that Trump’s imagery and celebration of “secrets” referred to illegal conduct with underage females. Nonetheless, the story compounds the sustained controversy over the president’s declarations that the FBI’s “Epstein files” are a Democrat hoax, and his coalition-splitting characterization that conservatives who are pressing for the release of more Epstein documents are “weaklings” who “haven’t learned their lesson.”
The Journal said it “reviewed” the letter, but did not publish an image of it. According to the report, the letter was one of many contained in a leather-bound book compiled in 2003 by since-convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The book was a gift to celebrate Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. Others who submitted letters include billionaire Leslie Wexner and attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Bawdiness was a recurring but not necessarily universal theme among the many letters in the book. The letter attributed to Trump features the outline of a nude woman drawn with heavy marker, with arcs depicting breasts and a squiggly “Donald” signature positioned to illustrate the woman’s pubic hair. Within that frame of the female figure, the letter features typewritten text, creatively written in the fashion of an audio or video script:
“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.”
Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.
Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.
Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.
Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.
Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.
In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump acknowledged Epstein’s affinity for younger women: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. 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. No doubt about it—Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
After the story was published, Trump lashed out via Truth Social, calling the Journal a “disgusting and filthy rag” for publishing a “false, malicious and defamatory” story. Trump wrote that he’d contacted Journal owner Rubert Murdoch, who “stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.” Trump also argued that, if there were any truth to suggestions he was guilty of criminal sexual conduct facilitated by Epstein, “Radical Left Lunatics” like Hillary Clinton, former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey wouldn’t have sat on it through three elections.
Vice President JD Vance issued his own attack on the Journal, noting that the letter doesn’t sound like Trump:
“Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?“
Also following the Journal’s posting of the story, Trump announced he had directed Bondi to “produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony” related to the Epstein case, while reiterating that people demanding information about who had indulged in Epstein’s stable of underage girls were falling for a “SCAM perpetuated by the Democrats.”
Dershowitz’s 2003 birthday letter also used a creative approach, centered on a mockup of a “Vanity Unfair” magazine cover with the headline “Who was Jack the Ripper? Was it Jeffrey Epstein?” Dershowitz jokingly wrote that he’d persuaded the publisher to switch the focus of an article from Epstein to Bill Clinton. This week, told the Journal “It’s been a long time and I don’t recall the content of what I may have written.” Dershowitz has denied allegations he cavorted with Epstein-furnished underage partners, and has urged the release of documents to prove his innocence.
According to Trump, his friendship with Epstein ended sometime around 2004, after mutual acrimony arose from a bidding war between the two for a Palm Beach property — a war Trump won. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution, but was controversially allowed to enter a non-prosecution agreement that spared him and others from federal charges. After Epstein’s far more consequential arrest in 2019, Trump recalled, “I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
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