Trump's name on 2003 birthday letter to Epstein, Wall Street Journal reports

Donald Trump's name appeared on a risqué 2003 personal note to Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The president responded that the letter was fake.

The Journal reported that the letter was one of several included in a leather-bound album meant to celebrate Epstein's 50th birthday, about three years before sex-abuse allegations emerged against the financier.

The alleged letter, which Trump denies writing, is raunchy, as were others in the collection, the Journal reported. It contains several lines of typewritten text, contained in an outline of a naked woman drawn with a marker.

"The future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair," the Journal reported.

"The letter concludes: 'Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret.'"

Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the figure, telling the Journal: "This is not me. This is a fake thing."

"I don't draw pictures of women," he said. "It's not my language. It's not my words."

Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the letter.

Trump quickly responded to the story on his Truth Social platform, saying he would sue the newspaper and Rupert Murdoch, who controls its publisher, News Corp.

"I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

"But he did, and now I'm going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper."

In an earlier post, Trump said Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker "was told directly by (White House press secretary) Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE".

The Republican president called the story "false, malicious, and defamatory".

"The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued," Trump wrote.

"President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly."

A spokesperson for the Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones & Co., declined to comment on its story or Trump's threat to sue. Representatives for News Corp and Murdoch could not immediately be reached for comment.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The White House has been roiled by questions about disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein, after the Justice Department this month concluded that there was no evidence to support a number of long-held conspiracy theories about his clients and his 2019 death in prison.

Attorney General Pam Bondi had pledged months earlier to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs."

Some Trump supporters have demanded the release of more information on Epstein, causing a rare fracture within his base of support. Trump has pushed back.

"It's all been a big hoax," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, as calls increased for the release of more information on Epstein's clients.

However, Trump and Bondi stated on Thursday that they would seek court permission to release grand jury testimony from the Epstein case.

The Journal reported that the birthday letter, bearing Trump's name, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to have been hand-drawn with a heavy marker. The newspaper said the letter concludes "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret," and featured the signature "Donald."

Vice President JD Vance responded to the story on X, saying, "Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it."

Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006, after the birthday book was compiled, and he was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal.

Epstein died in 2019 in jail after he was arrested a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy.