While Jeffrey Epstein is no longer with us, the legacy of the shamed financier continues to cause controversy even six years after his body was discovered in his New York prison cell.
Notably, there have been continued questions about how close Donald Trump was to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the infamous Epstein Island. Even though it's important to note that Trump wasn't mentioned in the first wave of the Epstein File release, that hasn't stopped the controversy. As well as calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign over her supposedly botched handling of the Epstein Files and sensationalist nature of the release, there's Elon Musk's internet-breaking rant where he claimed "the truth will come out" and that the POTUS is named in redacted parts of the files.
Up there with the assassination of JFK, the mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein make it one of the wildest conspiracy theories out there. Trump and Epstein were known associates, and while the President maintains he has nothing to do with the latter's sex trafficking convictions, a correspondence between the pair has reportedly appeared in Epstein's newly released 'birthday book'.
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A US congressional panel has released a partially redacted version of a 238-page book that was apparently given to Epstein in 2003, celebrating his fiftieth birthday.
Alongside messages that appear to be from UK ambassador Peter Mandelson and former President Bill Clinton, there's a 93-word letter that's signed with handwriting similar to President Trump.
The Commander-in-Chief has denied writing the note.
This letter has a passage of text that appears to have the body of a woman drawn around it. It reads: "Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret."
The writer tells Epstein how "enigmas never age" and adds that "we have certain things in common." There's also a signature that resembles Trump's and appears to mimic pubic hair.
Despite the White House and Trump denying the POTUS' involvement, it matches a description of the 'bawdy' letter that the Wall Street Journal first reported on in July.
The release of these documents comes following a legal summons from the House Oversight Committee, acquiring the likes of the birthday book, Epstein's will, and entries from his contact book that contained addresses from 1990 to 2019. Committee chairman James Comer included a note that called Democratic members of the committee to task, stating that they were "cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate." This includes the alleged Trump letter.
A lengthy X thread reveals other pictures and messages contained within the birthday book, appearing to show nude images of Epstein, stories about him holding a knife and asking women to take off their bathing suits while on his boat, and 17-year-old girls "smooching it up in the car" of 'father's caddy'.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has continued backing Trump, taking to X and writing: "The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false.
"As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation...This is FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!”
Still, a spokesperson for WSJ publisher Dow Jones reiterated: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting."