US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), its parent company News Corp., and media mogul Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper claimed he authored a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The WSJ report, which included an exclusive description of the letter, alleged that it was part of a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 and featured a crude drawing of a nude woman. According to the report, the letter included a signature that was described as a squiggly ‘Donald’ below the woman’s waist, mimicking pubic hair. The paper’s report came without explanation of how it obtained what it claimed was a previously unreleased Department of Justice file.
Trump, who strongly denied the allegation, told the WSJ that he never wrote a picture in his life and claimed it was not his language or words. Despite his denials, the WSJ proceeded with publication, prompting Trump to accuse the newspaper and its editor, Emma Tucker, of spreading defamatory lies. The president accused Murdoch and the WSJ of deliberately trying to stay relevant by publishing what he called ‘a fake’ letter and vowed to sue them ‘shortly.’ Trump, known for his history of legal battles against major media outlets, called the WSJ a ‘disgusting and filthy rag’ and claimed it was desperately trying to maintain its reputation.
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier, was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He was allegedly found dead in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein’s death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long been the subject of public skepticism. Trump, who has faced criticism over his administration’s handling of the Epstein case, recently claimed that only ‘stupid people’ still demand access to Epstein’s alleged ‘client list.’