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WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jul 17) threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal after it published a story about an alleged off-colour letter written by him to late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that featured a drawing of a naked woman.
The Journal story, which quickly reverberated around the US capital, says the note to Epstein bearing Trump's signature was part of a collection of notes for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. The newspaper says it reviewed the letter but did not print an image.
Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker "was told directly by (White House press secretary) Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE", Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social network.
"Instead, they are going with a false, malicious and defamatory story anyway," he said.
"President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr (Rupert) Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don't even exist."
The Republican president was already facing a firestorm over his past relationship with Epstein, and claims that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019, during Trump's first term, after being charged with federal sex trafficking in a scheme where he allegedly groomed young and underage women for sexual abuse by his wealthy contacts.
He was previously required to register as a sex offender in Florida after pleading guilty to two felony prostitution-related charges.
Later on Thursday, Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release transcripts of grand jury testimony in the Epstein case, "subject to court approval".
"ANOTHER WONDERFUL SECRET"
The alleged letter, which Trump denies writing, is raunchy, as were others in the collection, the Journal reported. It contains several lines of typewritten text, contained in an outline of a naked woman drawn with a marker.
"The future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair," the Journal reported.
"The letter concludes: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret.'"
Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the figure, telling the Journal: "This is not me. This is a fake thing."
"I don't draw pictures of women," he said. "It's not my language. It's not my words."
Murdoch, who controls the NewsCorp media empire, was in Trump's suite on Sunday at MetLife Stadium outside New York City for the FIFA Club World Cup final.
On Thursday, several US media outlets reported that a federal prosecutor who handled Epstein's case, who is the daughter of a prominent Trump critic, was abruptly fired.
Maurene Comey, whose father is former FBI director James Comey, was dismissed on Wednesday from her position as an assistant US attorney in Manhattan, several major US outlets reported.
Comey also prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate who has been criminally charged in connection with his activities.
Maxwell is the person who compiled the leather-bound book of letters for Epstein in 2003, The Journal reported.
"The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it?" Vice President JD Vance wrote on X.
