Donald Trump has threatened to sue a US newspaper for its report claiming he sent a racy birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein saying they had ‘certain things in common’.
A leather-bound album of letters to Epstein from his friends and associates are said to have been compiled by his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell for his 50th birthday in 2003.
Parts of the album were later examined by Justice Department officials investigating the pair, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that the album contains a letter from Trump featuring typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appeared to be hand-drawn with permanent marker.
His first name is said to have been signed below the woman’s waist in a way that makes it look like pubic hair.
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Styled as an imaginary conversation between the pair, the text reads: ‘Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.
‘Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.
‘Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.
‘Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.
‘Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.
‘Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
‘Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.
‘Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.’
The US president denied writing the note or drawing the picture, branding the report a ‘fake Wall Street Journal story’.
In a statement posted on social media he wrote: These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.
‘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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT.’
In a separate post, Trump said he asked the US attorney general to release ‘any and all pertinent grand jury testimony’ in the case of Epstein, who was found dead by suicide in his cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges.
The release of any documents would have to be approved by a court, he added.
Grand jury testimony is typically kept secret under US law.
Ms Bondi responded on X: ‘President Trump-we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.’
The Justice Department has previously said it has some 200 documents on Epstein, and that the FBI has thousands more, although it’s not known how much of these consist of grand jury testimony.
By his own admission, Trump was friendly with Epstein for more than a decade starting in the 1980s.
The future president told New York Magazine in 2002: ‘He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.
‘No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.’
They were photographed together at various parties together, including one at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where NFL cheerleaders were guests of honour.
His name also appeared seven times in flight logs for Epstein’s private jets.
Trump has admitted travelling on the planes but insisted he never went to the financier’s private island or engaged in any wrongdoing with him.
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