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Trump signed letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday, the Wall Street Journal claims
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is forcefully denying authorship of a sexually suggestive letter allegedly included in a birthday album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003 — a letter that includes a nude outline of a woman with “Donald” signed beneath the waist, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The report claims that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate and later convicted accomplice, curated a leather-bound birthday book filled with personal notes, drawings, poems, and photographs from dozens of Epstein’s associates. Among them, the Journal says, was a message signed by Trump, reportedly styled as a mock dialogue between Trump and Epstein, framed by the hand-drawn silhouette of a nude woman.
The message reportedly ends with the phrase: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The letter is signed “Donald” beneath the waistline of the nude figure in a manner described by sources as lewd and suggestive.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday evening, Trump categorically denied ever writing or signing such a letter, calling the report “a fake story” and threatening legal action.
“This is not me. This is a fake thing. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women,” Trump said. “It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”
He added, “I’m gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else.”
The contents of the birthday album — including the alleged Trump letter — are reportedly among the materials examined by Justice Department investigators in previous probes into Epstein and Maxwell. It is unclear whether this document was included in the most recent review of Epstein-related files conducted under the Trump administration and overseen by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The Journal’s report comes amid heightened public scrutiny over what remains hidden in the so-called “Epstein files” — internal records, communications, and evidence collected over the course of the investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking network. The Justice Department has so far denied the existence of an “incriminating client list,” despite mounting political pressure for transparency.
Trump and Epstein were known to have socialized during the 1990s and early 2000s, appearing together in public at events in Palm Beach and New York, including one video from 1992 showing Trump at a Mar-a-Lago party with Epstein and several women.
In a 2002 New York Magazine profile, Trump praised Epstein as “a terrific guy” and noted, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Trump later said their friendship ended well before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor and his subsequent designation as a sex offender.
By 2019, following Epstein’s second arrest on sex trafficking charges, Trump claimed he hadn’t spoken to Epstein in 15 years and insisted, “I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.” A spokesperson for Trump also said that Epstein had been banned from Mar-a-Lago “a long time ago,” though no date was provided.
In addition to the purported Trump letter, the birthday album reportedly contains messages from several other Epstein associates, including:
- Leslie Wexner, billionaire and former CEO of L Brands, who wrote: “I wanted to get you what you want… so here it is…,” accompanied by a drawing of a woman’s breasts.
- Alan Dershowitz, attorney and former Epstein legal counsel, submitted a parody “Vanity Unfair” magazine cover, joking about shifting media focus from Epstein to former President Bill Clinton.
- A now-deceased Harvard economist and Epstein’s former assistant also contributed notes, including one acrostic poem praising Epstein.
A New York bookbinder, Herbert Weitz, who listed Epstein as a client on his website in 2003, is said to have compiled the album.
The Wall Street Journal report arrives amid growing calls — including from both sides of the political aisle — for full public release of government-held Epstein files. In June 2024, Trump indicated he would support releasing them, though he added a caveat: “You don’t want to affect people’s lives if it’s phony stuff in there.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had promised transparency, oversaw the release of a partial batch of Epstein-related records in February 2025. The limited contents drew sharp criticism from lawmakers and commentators, particularly after the Justice Department walked back plans for further disclosure, stating it had found no additional materials warranting release.
House Democrats have since urged House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan to hold public hearings on the handling of the Epstein investigation, including testimony from Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
As scrutiny intensifies over the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein-related materials, the alleged birthday letter — regardless of its origin — has become a flashpoint in the broader debate about government transparency, elite impunity, and the legacy of Epstein’s crimes.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the FBI has commented on the existence of the birthday album or confirmed whether the alleged letter from Trump was among the evidence reviewed. Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence, did not respond to a request for comment. Her attorney stated that she is currently focused on her appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This story is developing.
UPDATE: Search efforts have been suspended following the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, marking another tragic loss for the city’s historic fishing community.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted early Friday morning by the vessel’s emergency beacon after it activated in the water; no mayday call was received.
Responders located a debris field, an unoccupied life raft, and one deceased individual in the water.
Six other crew members remain missing and are presumed lost after an extensive air and sea search yielded no additional results.
The Coast Guard cited frigid water temperatures, challenging weather conditions, and the vast search area in its decision to suspend operations.
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Authorities have identified all seven individuals who lost their lives after the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean sank approximately 25 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, early Friday morning, marking a devastating loss for Gloucester’s historic fishing community.
The Lily Jean, a commercial fishing vessel measuring between 72 and 80 feet in length and homeported in Gloucester—the nation’s oldest working fishing port—activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at approximately 6:50 a.m. Friday while returning to port.
No mayday call was received, and subsequent attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful.
The U.S. Coast Guard immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and multiple surface assets to the area of the distress signal.
Crews located a debris field and an unoccupied life raft roughly 25 miles offshore near the EPIRB activation site, confirming the vessel had sunk to the ocean floor. One deceased individual was recovered from the water.
The remaining six crew members were later presumed lost after extensive search efforts yielded no additional results.
Officials confirmed that seven people were aboard the vessel at the time of the incident, revising earlier reports that indicated six.
The seven individuals who perished aboard the Lily Jean are:
- John Paul Rousanidis, 33, of Salem/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Sean Therrien, 44, of Lynn/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Freeman Short, of the Marshfield/Scituate area
- Captain Gus Sanfilippo, a well-known and respected Gloucester fisherman
- Paul Beal Sr., deckhand
- Paul Beal Jr., deckhand and son of Paul Beal Sr.
- Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia
Jada Samitt, the seventh crew member identified, was serving aboard the vessel in the role of a federal fisheries observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She had recently relocated to Massachusetts to pursue her passion for environmental biology, graduating last year. Family members said joining the Lily Jean crew was her first major professional role at sea and a lifelong dream.
Her aunt, Heather Michaels, described Samitt as a compassionate and driven young woman who deeply respected her captain and dedicated herself fully to her work. “She put her heart and soul into this opportunity,” family members said, noting her commitment to marine conservation and the fishing community.
Officials said the Lily Jean had reported taking on water shortly before contact was lost.
The vessel is now presumed fully submerged.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Gloucester’s close-knit maritime community.
Ashley Sullivan, a local business owner who knew the vessel’s owner, emphasized the daily risks faced by commercial fishermen. “I hope people really take a moment to understand the sacrifices these men and women make to put food on our tables,” she said. “This is heartbreaking.”
Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr also expressed condolences, highlighting Gloucester’s deep fishing heritage. “Gloucester has a long fishing history, and that history includes tragic loss,” Tarr said. “It appears we are experiencing another of those painful chapters.”
Governor Maura Healey released a statement saying she was “heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester,” adding that her administration has offered full assistance to local officials and the Coast Guard. She extended prayers to the victims’ families and the broader fishing community across Cape Ann and the Commonwealth.
Community members and local businesses have continued to share messages of remembrance and solidarity. Taylor Hunt, a relative of Freeman Short, posted a tribute honoring the crew, writing in part: “The salt has been in our blood for generations… A man is not lost while the sea remembers his name. Fair winds and following seas.”
The Lily Jean had previously been featured on the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men, which documented the dangers and demands of New England’s commercial fishing industry.
While search operations have concluded, the Coast Guard and relevant agencies continue to review the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Officials have stated that further updates will be released as additional information becomes available.
Authorities have urged the public to keep the victims’ families and Gloucester’s fishing community in their thoughts and prayers during this period of profound loss.