U.S. President Donald Trump denies writing a letter signed 'Donald' beneath a nude sketch in Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday album, details of which were published by the Wall Street Journal. The letter is now under review by the U.S. Justice Department.

Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump has denied writing a sexually suggestive letter, signed with his name, that was reportedly included in Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday album. The Wall Street Journal published details of the letter, which features a hand-drawn nude sketch and a message signed 'Donald.' Trump has stated that the letter is not his, calling the story fake and threatening legal action against the publication.

The letter, dated 2003, predates Epstein’s criminal charges and is now being reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department. Trump’s denial comes amid calls from both political supporters and opponents for the release of all documents related to Epstein. CBC News has not independently verified the Wall Street Journal’s report.

Trump denies writing crude letter to Jeffrey Epstein

And so, Katie, tell us the latest. KATIE COURIC, The Washington Post": Yes, more court documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case could be made public as early possibly as Friday, according to Donald Trump, who says he's asked his attorney general to produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony subject to court approval. Trump's own supporters have been demanding this for weeks, and the president has been backed into a corner after this potentially devastating article from The Wall Street Journal that says a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's name was given to Epstein for his 50th birthday back in 2003. According to the journal, the letter is crude. There's a hand-drawn naked woman framing several lines of text, with the last line saying, a pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret. CBC News has not verified this report independently. The journal says it's reviewed documents to corroborate its reporting. As I mentioned, it's dated 2003, which is three years before Epstein was ever charged with sex offenses involving minors. Now, Trump is aggressively denying the story, telling the journal, this is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words. On social media, Trump says he warned the journal they'd be sued if they published the article. Katie, this comes at such an explosive moment for Trump. Yes, Republicans, Democrats, and, most significantly, Trump's MAGA supporters have been calling for all documents related to Epstein to be released. Trump and members of his inner circle have long peddled conspiracy theories about Epstein. It's a fixation for some in the MAGA movement. They see Epstein as this larger figure representing government corruption and cover-ups. Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein, but, so far, he's struggled to control the narrative. Some in his MAGA base are not giving him the benefit of the doubt, as they have done so many times in the past, as he's blown through scandal after scandal after scandal. This time, there's something about this one that seems to be sticking, and Donald Trump is now in a position where he's forced to act. All right, Katie Simpson in Washington with this breaking story. Thank you.

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