President Donald Trump signaled he may seek legal action against The Wall Street Journal following an article that the publication posted. Trump warned WSJ owner Rupert Murdoch in response to the article that claimed the president sent a letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Friday, July 18, he can’t wait for Murdoch to “testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper.” Murdoch owns News Corp, the company that owns WSJ, along with the New York Post and Fox News.
Details of the alleged note and Trump’s denial
In the article, the WSJ claims to have seen a letter written by Trump that was meant for Epstein. The letter reportedly included a sexually suggestive illustration of a woman alongside a signature that reads “Donald.” Trump denied writing or sending the card.
According to the article, the letter in question comes from a collection of birthday notes from several people for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The letter reportedly concludes with the line, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
In response to the report, Trump posted on Truth Social, calling it a fake letter. He said he doesn’t draw pictures and added he doesn’t talk like that. On Thursday, July 17, Trump said, “I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.”
Laura Loomer took to X to dismiss the report about Trump’s alleged birthday letter to Epstein, calling it completely false. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who previously acknowledged that Trump’s name appeared in Epstein-related documents, expressed skepticism about the WSJ story.
“It really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say tbh,” Musk wrote on X.
Epstein’s case and public demand for document release
According to the FBI, Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in jail, where he was facing federal charges alleging he sexually abused minors and operated a sex trafficking ring. Documents tied to his case have been sought by lawmakers and the public who say transparency is needed to fully understand the scope of the crimes.
The article comes at a time when public pressure is mounting on the Department of Justice to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s federal sex trafficking case. Trump and his administration have delayed the release of those files, citing a lack of evidence and arguing that disclosure would serve no purpose.
Shifts in Trump’s position on DOJ transparency
After The Journal published its report, Trump appeared to shift his stance. He said he instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to release “all pertinent” grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case. Trump also criticized the renewed attention surrounding the documents, calling it a politically motivated scam driven by Democrats.
Bondi responded to Trump’s directive on X, saying she was ready to comply and unseal the transcripts.
Some U.S. lawmakers and supporters of Trump criticized the Justice Department for withholding the Epstein documents, despite earlier promises from the Trump administration to release them in the interest of transparency.
Trump’s previous lawsuits
Trump frequently takes legal action against news organizations over what he views as biased reporting. Several of his lawsuits, such as those targeting CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post over stories linking his 2016 campaign to Russia, were thrown out. Still, since his reelection, he reached notable settlements with ABC and Paramount.
