JD Vance calls the story “complete and utter bullshit”
US President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its report claiming he allegedly sent a sexually explicit birthday note to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
In a Truth Social post, Trump slammed the report, calling it “fake news” and threatened to sue the WSJ, NewsCorp and Murdoch “shortly.”
“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.
“Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so. The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn’t want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway,” he wrote
The WSJ has reviewed the book put together for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, as part of which is this alleged letter submitted by Trump. “Trump’s letter features a drawing of a naked woman and this text which imagines a conversation between Trump and Epstein,” according to a post by Yashar Ali, an Iranian-American journalist who has contributed to HuffPost, NBC News, and New York magazine
Responding to Ali’s post, US Vice President JD Vance called the story “complete and utter bullshit”
“Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?
“Doesn’t it violate some rule of journalistic ethics to publish a letter like this without showing it to the victim of this hit piece? Will the people who have bought into every hoax against President Trump show an ounce of skepticism before buying into this bizarre story?” Vance wrote on X
The controversy
The leather-bound birthday album was created for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
It resurfaced in public discussion after the Journal claimed it reviewed a copy that included the letter attributed to Trump.
Reportedly organised by Ghislaine Maxwell, the album featured personal messages from several of Epstein’s prominent associates.
The contents of the album are under renewed scrutiny amid recent US justice Department investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, who were convicted for operating a decades-long sex trafficking ring that exploited underage girls through manipulation, abuse, and a network of powerful connections.
According to the report, Trump tried to contact the editor-in-chief of the WSJ to get the story killed.
The story dropped on Thursday afternoon
Who is Jeffery Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein is a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
The “Epstein files” refer to thousands of documents, videos and investigative materials gathered over the years in connection with Epstein and his associates.
Many documents are still sealed or heavily redacted.
