Trump denies link to Epstein letter, sues WSJ for billions

President Donald Trump has rejected claims made in a Wall Street Journal report that a suggestive birthday letter bearing his name was among a collection of items prepared for Jeffrey Epstein. The president has described the letter as “fake” and has announced plans to pursue legal action against the publication.

In a statement posted Thursday night on Truth Social, Trump said he had directly warned both the Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, not to publish the report. “I told them the letter was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” Trump wrote. “Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it, but obviously did not have the power to do so.”

The Wall Street Journal article, published earlier in the day, reported that it had reviewed a leather-bound album compiled in 2003 by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

The album allegedly included a typed letter signed by Trump, accompanied by a cartoon-style drawing of a naked woman. The publication did not assert the letter’s authenticity but presented it as part of the material associated with Epstein.

Trump strongly denied having any involvement, stating that he had never seen the letter before and had no knowledge of it. He also insisted, “I never wrote a picture in my life,” a claim that drew scrutiny given the existence of previous Trump drawings that have been auctioned publicly.

Following the article’s publication, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit in a federal court in Miami against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two of the paper’s journalists. The suit seeks damages of at least $10 billion, alleging the report was “false, malicious, and defamatory.”

In a related move, Trump announced that he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to release grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case. Bondi later filed a motion, citing public interest in the matter.

The Wall Street Journal has defended its reporting, and the article has drawn a wide range of reactions — including from some of Trump’s critics within his political base — with many questioning the timing and intent behind the publication.