Birthday note addressed from Trump to Epstein released by House Democrats

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Monday released the image of a note addressed from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in a book for the late-financier’s 50th birthday — the subject of a lawsuit the president filed in July against the Wall Street Journal.

The note, which Democrats made publicly available for the first by posting it on X, includes a drawing in the shape of a woman’s body and contains an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein. The name “Donald” is signed in cursive at the bottom of the note.

The president has denied creating the note. He said it was fake when the Wall Street Journal reported on it back in July. On Monday, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said the signature on the note is not the president’s.

“Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it’s not his signature,” Budowich wrote on X, tagging the Journal’s parent company. “DEFAMATION.”

In the imagined conversation, Trump tells Epstein, “We have certain things in common Jeffrey” and concludes the message with: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

The note and birthday book were included in a tranche of files Epstein’s estate turned over to the House Oversight Committee on Monday in response to a subpoena.

Trump has repeatedly denied writing any such letter and is suing the Journal’s parent company, publisher, reporters and owner Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion in a defamation lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida. The July 18 complaint states that “no authentic letter or drawing exists.”

“The Wall Street Journal, and Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the Journal published its initial story. “Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so.”

On Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s lawyers will “continue to aggressively pursue litigation.”

Democrats, meanwhile, have demanded answers from the Trump administration.

“The Oversight Committee has secured the infamous ‘Birthday Book’ that contains a note from President Trump that he has said does not exist,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement. “It’s time for the President to tell us the truth about what he knew and release all the Epstein files. The American people are demanding answers.”

More to Come

Epstein has been subject of numerous conspiracy theories about his life, his death and the rich and powerful he called friends.

The files from Epstein’s estate also included the late financier’s will, the non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and the U.S. attorney’s office in South Florida, and information about his bank accounts.

The committee also requested any files resembling a “client list.” One of the conspiracy theories about Epstein revolves around the belief that there is a list of powerful men that were part of Epstein’s circle.

No such list has ever come to light and the lawyers handling the request said they had no knowledge of a “list of clients involved in sex, sex acts, or sex trafficking facilitated by Mr. Jeffrey Epstein.” The Department of Justice and FBI also said that no list exists.

The files will eventually be made public.

“Committee staff will review these documents and make them public in the near future,” a spokesperson for the committee said.

The lawyers handling Epstein’s estate told the committee that out of “an abundance of caution, we have redacted names and faces of women and minors who appear” in the birthday book and they also redacted any photos containing nudity.

Members of the panel will be able to review the original, unredacted book upon request.

The committee subpoenaed the files from Epstein’s estate as part of their investigation into the late financier, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 4:04 PM.