The White House on Tuesday rejected claims that President Donald Trump authored a lewd birthday letter to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after the document was published by the House Oversight Committee.
The Wall Street Journal first reported in July on the alleged 2003 letter, prompting Trump to file a $10 billion defamation suit against the paper and its owners. The note — typewritten inside the outline of a nude woman, with Trump’s alleged signature placed where her pubic hair would be — was among several messages compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
“The president did not write that letter. He did not sign those documents. He maintains that position, and that position will be argued in court,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Trump’s allies insist the signature is forged, noting differences from documents signed since his 2017 presidency. However, The New York Times published letters from the late 1990s and early 2000s that bear a striking resemblance to the 2003 note. Leavitt said the White House would support a professional handwriting analysis.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with global connections, was convicted of sex offences before being found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Trump’s past association with Epstein has long been a political flashpoint. While the president has dismissed the renewed controversy as a Democratic “hoax,” critics argue the documents deepen questions about his relationship with the late sex offender.