House Democrats release lewd birthday message Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted on X that the note should help Trump’s case because "it’s not his signature."
House Democrats on Monday publicly released an image of a birthday message that President Donald Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, reigniting scrutiny of the former president’s ties to the late convicted sex offender.
The note, included in a leather-bound collection of birthday greetings prepared for Epstein’s 50th birthday, depicts a crude hand-drawn outline of a naked woman alongside a typewritten dialogue between Trump and Epstein. Trump has denied any involvement with the card.
The book containing the note was among the materials subpoenaed last month by the House Oversight Committee from Epstein’s estate.
Earlier this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported on the existence of the card. In response, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit in July against the Journal, its publisher Dow Jones, and two of its reporters. A Dow Jones spokesperson said the newspaper stands by its reporting and intends to “vigorously defend against any lawsuit.” NBC News has not independently verified the Journal’s reporting.
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted on X that the card could support Trump’s legal defense because “it’s not his signature,” sharing several examples of the president’s current full-name autograph. Previous instances of Trump signing only his first name, including a 1984 example published in The New York Times and a 1999 signature on an auction site, resemble the autograph shown in the Democrats’ post.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the publication of the card, calling the story “false” and “FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!” She said in a post on X, “It’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”
The typewritten note presented as a conversation between Trump and Epstein begins, “There must be more to life than having everything.” It continues with an exchange in which Trump and Epstein acknowledge shared experiences and secrets, concluding with, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump’s full name is typed above the “Donald” signature.
In July, Trump wrote on social media that the note contained “not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.” Days later, The Washington Post noted he had previously sketched four buildings and a bridge that were auctioned off during his presidency. Trump subsequently told reporters, “Sometimes people say, ‘Would you draw a building?’ And I’ll draw four lines and a little roof, you know, for a charity. But I’m not a drawing person. I don’t do drawings of women, that I can tell you.”
Trump’s attorneys have alleged in the defamation suit that the note is “nonexistent” and that “no authentic letter or drawing exists.” The attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
The version of the birthday book provided to the Oversight Committee was redacted to remove the names and images of women and minors, according to a cover letter from Epstein’s estate attorneys. Committee documents indicate the book was assembled by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Maxwell acknowledged coordinating the book and soliciting birthday messages from Epstein’s friends but said she did not recall whether she spoke to Trump or received any submission from him.
Trump and Epstein were once friends, though the former president has said they fell out years before Epstein’s arrest. Maxwell is appealing her conviction to the Supreme Court, and her attorney has indicated he hopes Trump may issue her a pardon.
An Oversight Committee aide said the estate also provided Epstein’s will, a 2007 nonprosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, entries from Epstein’s address books from 1990 through 2019, and information about his bank accounts. “Committee staff will review these documents and make them public in the near future,” the aide said.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York on federal sex trafficking charges, a death that has generated numerous conspiracy theories, some promoted by Trump allies. The issue resurfaced this summer when the Justice Department and FBI released an unsigned joint memo affirming that Epstein’s death was a suicide, no other charges were forthcoming, and no additional information would be released. The announcement provoked strong backlash from some Trump supporters, who had long speculated about foul play in Epstein’s death.
The House Oversight Committee has also subpoenaed the Justice Department for investigative files related to Epstein. The DOJ has turned over about a third of the requested files, with Democrats noting that most of the material had already been made public.
Trump and his minions are all pedophiles