US president threatens legal action against newspaper over alleged letter to deceased sex offender.
The Epstein case has been the focus of recent news due to the Trump administration’s reversal of its previous commitment to disclose documents that were purported to contain incriminating information about Epstein and his elite associates.
This reversal has angered many of Trump’s loyal supporters, leading to accusations that his administration is hiding sordid details of Epstein’s crimes to protect wealthy and influential individuals.
Trump himself had a past association with Epstein and once referred to him as a friend.
“Given the immense publicity surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, I have instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the release of all relevant grand jury testimony, pending court approval. This scam, perpetuated by the Democrats, must end immediately!” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
Following Trump’s announcement, Attorney General Bondi stated on social media that the Justice Department is prepared to petition the court on Friday to unseal the grand jury transcripts.
“President Trump – we are prepared to file a motion with the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts,” Bondi stated.
Just hours before, Trump threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal after it published an article about an alleged explicit letter he had sent to Epstein. The letter, which included a drawing of a naked woman, reportedly formed part of a collection assembled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
The newspaper stated that it had examined the letter but chose not to publish its image.
“The Editor of The Wall Street Journal… was informed directly by [White House Press Secretary] Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“Instead, they opted for a false, malicious, and defamatory story regardless,” he added.
“President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. [Rupert] Murdoch shortly. The media needs to prioritize factual reporting and not rely on sources that may not even exist,” he continued.
The alleged letter, which Trump denies writing, consists of typewritten text within the outline of a naked woman drawn with a marker.
“The future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist, simulating pubic hair,” the Journal reported.
The letter concludes: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump told the WSJ: “This is not me. This is a fabricated item.”
“I don’t draw pictures of women,” he said. “It’s not my way of communicating. It’s not my words.”
Epstein died in a New York prison in 2019, during Trump’s first term, after being charged with sex trafficking in a scheme that involved grooming young and underage women for abuse by wealthy individuals.
The Trump-supporting far-right has long been fixated on the scandal, claiming the existence of a still-concealed list of Epstein’s powerful clients and suggesting that Epstein was murdered in prison as part of a cover-up.
