Topline
President Donald Trump’s base vigorously defended him in the wake of a Thursday Wall Street Journal report that he wrote a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday, with some claiming the alleged letter doesn’t sound like the president.
President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters while meeting with NATO Secretary General ... More
Donald Trump Jr.: The president’s oldest son reposted screenshots from Sean Davis, CEO of the conservative news site The Federalist, of findings from Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence assistant, Grok, that said there is no record of Trump using the word “enigma,” a word he’s quoted using in the alleged card to Epstein—Trump Jr. called the Journal report “insanity” and said it doesn’t match his father’s “very specific way of speaking” in a tweet Friday.
Jack Posobiec: The right-wing activist told Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast Friday the article was a “hit piece,” blasting the paper for reporting on a “letter that nobody’s actually seen” and calling the story “coordinated,” while suggesting the Journal’s source “has something to do with former elements of the Department of Justice.”
Steve Bannon: Calling the Journal “the sharpest stick” in what he claims is a concerted effort by the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, to attack Trump, Bannon urged the president’s supporters on Friday to go on the offensive and “attack, attack, attack.”
Natalie Winters: The co-host of Bannon’s “War Room” podcast said “it’s not journalism, it’s information warfare,” claiming the “Deep State” is “laundering” the story through the Wall Street Journal.
JD Vance: The vice president tweeted that the Journal “should be ashamed for publishing” the report, calling it “complete and utter bullshit” while criticizing the paper for failing to publicize the letter or show it to the White House before writing about it. “Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?” Vance wrote.
Charlie Kirk: The conservative influencer tweeted “this is not how Trump talks at all. I don’t believe it.”
Laura Loomer: Calling the Journal report “totally fake,” Loomer said “everyone who actually KNOWS President Trump knows he doesn’t type letters” but instead “writes messages in big black Sharpie.”
Matt Gaetz: The former Florida GOP congressman, who has faced a sexual misconduct scandal of his own, called the report “laughably false” and said “I hope Trump gets millions” by suing the Wall Street Journal.
Karoline Leavitt: The White House press secretary accused the Journal of publishing “a hatchet job article with a FAKE ‘birthday letter,’” accusing the paper of refusing to show the White House the letter and having “conceded they don’t even have it in their possession.”
Elon Musk: “It really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say tbh,” the billionaire tweeted.
Steven Cheung: The White House Communications Director accused “the Democrats in coordination with the Fake News” of “publishing a totally false and defamatory article,” in a tweet that said “nobody in their right mind would ever believe this trash.”
Grok gave contradicting responses to Musk and another user who asked about the legitimacy of the Journal report. In response to Musk asking if the report is fake or true, Grok said it’s “most likely fake” and “doesn’t match Trump’s direct style or known handwriting.” But in response to another user, the chatbot said “the letter appears authentic” and rejected Trump’s denial as lacking “substantiation.”
“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in response to the Journal report, pointed out that Trump auctioned off a hand-drawn picture of the Manhattan skyline, contradicting Trump’s claims that he doesn’t draw pictures.
The Journal reported that Trump gifted Epstein the sexually suggestive letter that included a drawing of a naked woman for his 50th birthday in 2003, citing documents reviewed by the paper, which did not publish an image of the alleged letter. In it, Trump allegedly wrote “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The report comes as Trump is facing mounting backlash from his base over the Justice Department’s refusal to release any additional documents on its investigation into Epstein, despite previous suggestions from Trump’s top law enforcement officials that it would. Trump has urged his supporters to move on from talking about Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump. (Wall Street Journal)