On September 8, 2025, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee unveiled a letter purportedly written by President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The document, discovered within a 50th birthday album compiled for Epstein, contains a sketch and a message hinting at shared secrets, allegedly signed by Trump.
Former President Trump has vehemently denied authoring the letter, dismissing it as a fabrication. Following the disclosure, Trump launched a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for its reporting on the matter. The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, has maintained the letter's inauthenticity, disputing the signature and characterizing the disclosure as defamation. Leavitt stated, "As I have said all along, it's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it."
The disclosure has intensified scrutiny on Trump's past association with Epstein. The birthday album, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003, reportedly contains messages from numerous acquaintances, including Bill Clinton and Leon Black. The Wall Street Journal's initial report in July 2025 brought the album's existence to light, describing many greetings as "anodyne" while others were "bawdy and made crude jokes about sex."
The letter's public release by House Oversight Committee Democrats occurred amidst ongoing examinations of Epstein's extensive network. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges. The controversy continues to unfold, with ongoing discussions concerning the letter's authenticity and its broader implications for transparency and accountability in the investigation into Epstein's activities.
Trump's lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, filed in July 2025, seeks at least $10 billion in damages, alleging the reporting was false and defamatory. The newspaper, through a Dow Jones & Co. spokeswoman, has stated it has "full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit." Lawmakers, including Representative Thomas Massie, have raised questions about the letter's direct relevance in providing justice for Epstein's victims.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has commenced the release of documents pertaining to Epstein's sex trafficking case, a move prompted by bipartisan pressure for enhanced transparency. The political tensions have heightened following this revelation, with segments of Trump's base perceiving the media and political opponents as unfairly targeting him.