President Donald Trump is threatening legal action against The Wall Street Journal and NewsCorp after the newspaper published an article claiming he wrote a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included a drawing of a naked woman — a claim Trump has labeled “completely fake.”
“This is not me,” Trump told the Journal. “This is a fake thing.” Hours later, Trump issued a full statement confirming he had personally warned WSJ owner Rupert Murdoch and editor-in-chief Emma Tucker not to publish the story, warning them it was false and would lead to legal consequences.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 18, 2025
The article in question alleged that a “letter bearing Trump’s name” was found in a birthday book for Epstein, supposedly framed around the outline of a naked woman drawn in marker. The Journal did not release an image of the letter and admitted it had not confirmed its authenticity with the Department of Justice or FBI, both of which declined to comment.
Trump blasted the Journal for publishing the story without evidence, calling it “yet another example of FAKE NEWS!” He added that if the letter were real, “it would have been revealed by Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary, and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago.” He also pointed out that all the alleged documents had been in federal custody during the Biden administration.
In a move to increase transparency, Trump announced Thursday night that he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to “immediately release any and all Epstein-related Grand Jury testimony that a court will allow.”
Bondi confirmed her office was prepared to go to court as soon as Friday to begin unsealing the transcripts. “We are ready to move,” she said. Trump has previously stated he wants all credible evidence related to Epstein to be released publicly.
President Trump—we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts. pic.twitter.com/hOXzdTcYYB
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 18, 2025
The renewed Epstein frenzy has stirred criticism online from left-wing media and some conservative commentators — but polling suggests it has not shaken Trump’s voter base. In fact, his approval rating among Republicans has increased since the DOJ’s announcement that there would be no “client list” and no new indictments tied to Epstein.
While Trump and Epstein were known to be social acquaintances in New York during the 1990s, the two had a falling out well before Epstein’s crimes were exposed in 2006. There remains no evidence linking Trump to Epstein’s criminal activity.