President Donald Trump has lashed out at The Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch over a report suggesting he once sent a birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein that featured a nude female outline and his typed signature. Trump denounced the article as “fake,” “malicious,” and “defamatory,” and is threatening legal action.
The Journal report, published Thursday, alleged that Trump’s name appeared on a 2003 birthday note included in a collection of letters gifted to Epstein on his 50th birthday. The note allegedly ended with the line, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
According to the report, the letter included Trump’s typed signature inside the outline of a naked woman. However, the Journal did not publish an image of the note and relied on anonymous sources said to have reviewed the material.
Trump Denies Authorship, Promises Legal Action
Trump immediately pushed back in a series of Truth Social posts, accusing The Wall Street Journal of running a politically motivated smear campaign. “I told Rupert Murdoch directly this story was a scam and a fake, and not to run it,” Trump wrote. “He did anyway. Now they’re getting sued.”
In an interview with the Journal, Trump rejected the document as a forgery. “This isn’t me. I don’t draw women, and I don’t use that kind of language. Total fake,” he said.
He also singled out WSJ Editor Emma Tucker, claiming both he and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told her the letter was fabricated. “She was warned—but ran the story anyway,” Trump wrote. “The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don’t even exist.”
Trump added that lawsuits against The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Murdoch himself are imminent.
Free Press in the Crosshairs
The president’s threats of legal action come amid mounting tension between his administration and the press. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned Trump’s latest attack, calling it part of a “global anti-journalism movement.”
“Trump has become a key figure in the international campaign to delegitimize journalism,” RSF said in a statement, citing his frequent use of lawsuits, press access restrictions, and financial pressure to intimidate reporters.
Epstein Files Continue to Stir Controversy
The Wall Street Journal article comes just days after the U.S. Justice Department announced it would not release further documents from the Epstein investigation, including the so-called “client list.” The decision angered many Trump supporters who had hoped his administration would promote transparency around Epstein’s high-profile connections.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The renewed attention around Trump’s alleged link has further inflamed the long-running scandal.
