The White House reeled into chaos on Monday as House Democrats released what they claim is a lewd 2003 birthday message sent by President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein—a sexually suggestive note surrounded by a crude doodle of a nude woman. The fallout was immediate, intense, and sprawling across politics, media, and legal arenas.
The letter emerged as part of a 238-page “birthday book,” compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday by Ghislaine Maxwell, and delivered to Congress by Epstein’s estate. The volume, titled The First Fifty Years, gathered contributions from high-profile figures, framed as personal greetings from “Friends,” “Family,” and others. Among them was a page that bore Trump’s name and signature, entirely blanketed by a marker-drawn silhouette of a naked woman. Inside that outline, a fictional dialogue suggested an intimate rapport between the two men, closing with the line, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
For months, the Wall Street Journal had hinted at the existence of this note without publishing the image. Trump responded by calling the report “fake news,” launching a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the paper and its publisher. On Monday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee made the public aware of the actual image and the full album—and the White House promptly exploded.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the release as a “fake thing,” declaring, “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.” She emphasized his legal team “will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.” Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich followed, publishing examples of Trump’s authentic signature on social media and labeling the image circulated by Democrats “fake.” Vice President J.D. Vance dubbed the flap “another fake scandal” and an obvious smear campaign.