Angered by Report on Obscene Letter Sent to Epstein
Claims "Forgery" on Social Media Immediately After Publication
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its coverage related to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the Washington Post (WP) and other sources on July 18 (local time), former President Trump filed a $10 billion civil lawsuit under federal defamation law against two WSJ reporters, the publisher Dow Jones, parent company News Corporation, and its founder Rupert Murdoch. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami, Florida.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for its coverage related to Jeffrey Epstein. Photo by AP Yonhap News
In a report the previous day, WSJ disclosed a letter that Trump allegedly sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The newspaper reported that the letter clearly bore Trump's name and included a hand-drawn sketch of a nude female figure in bold marker, along with an obscene message. The letter reportedly ended with the sentence, "Happy birthday... and may every day be a wonderful day of secrets."
After the report was published, Trump expressed strong dissatisfaction on his social media platform, Truth Social. He stated, "Both Caroline Levitt (spokesperson) and I have declared that the letter is a forgery," and criticized, "Nevertheless, WSJ published an article that is clearly false and malicious." He added, "I have never sent a letter to Epstein, nor have I drawn any pictures," and warned, "I told Murdoch that the letter was fabricated and not to publish it, but he ignored me. Now I will take legal action against him and the newspaper."
However, the Washington Post pointed out that, contrary to Trump's claims, he does have a history of creating artwork. According to the report, four drawings made by Trump during his presidency were actually auctioned off in the past.
The relationship between former President Trump and Epstein has repeatedly been at the center of controversy. After Epstein died in connection with the sexual exploitation of minors, allegations have persisted that there exists a so-called "sex trafficking list" implicating prominent political and business figures.
Recently, suspicions surrounding the Epstein case have also caused conflict within conservative circles. In particular, former Attorney General Pam Bondi's claim that no guest list exists for Epstein has sparked backlash among Trump supporters, as it contradicts her previous statements that had implied such a list did exist.
In this regard, former President Trump announced the previous day that he had instructed Bondi to seek court approval to fully disclose significant portions of her grand jury testimony related to Epstein. This move is interpreted as a political effort by Trump to directly confront the Epstein allegations.
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