DONALD Trump has hit out at Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) after the newspaper alleged he sent a crude letter to Jeffrey Epstein.
The US President has threatened to sue the WSJ after it reported he had sent Epstein a “bawdy” note featuring a drawing of a naked woman, to mark the convicted paedophile's 50th birthday.
According to the newspaper, Trump wished Epstein a "happy birthday" adding “may every day be another wonderful secret” for a birthday album compiled by Epstein's partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2003.
Trump has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture.
And now, he has hit out at the newspaper’s owner Murdoch and insisted the note is “fake”.
In a social media post, the US president wrote: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ.
“That will be an interesting experience!!!"
Trump previously said the WSJ and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the story, which he claimed was "false, malicious, and defamatory".
On Thursday, the US president wrote on Truth Social: “The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein.
“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.”
Murdoch retired from his roles as chairman at Fox Corporation, based in the US, and News Corp, based in the UK, in 2023, with his son Lachlan Murdoch taking over the leadership positions. Aged 92, Murdoch insisted he would retain active involvement at both companies.
It comes as Trump and Epstein’s relationship has made fresh headlines in the US.
Last week, the US Department of Justice released an unsigned memorandum declaring that there was no evidence Epstein maintained a client list and there was no “credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals".
Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors in 2019, before committing suicide in jail. The memorandum also stated that he had died by suicide, contrary to many prominent conspiracy theories.
This caused outrage amongst Trump supporters, particularly as Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the client list was “sitting on my desk” in February.
She later claimed she was referencing the Epstein case file.
Under rising pressure over Epstein, Trump said he had asked Bondi to release the grand jury testimony on the disgraced financier.
He told the WSJ the picture was “fake”, adding: “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”
Dozens of Epstein’s associates are said to have written in the album, which was reported to have been reviewed by Justice Department officials as part of their investigations into the prolific sex-trafficking operations run by Epstein and Maxwell.
Epstein was first arrested on charges of sexually abusing a minor in 2006. He was rearrested in 2019 and died by suicide in his prison cell a month later.
Trump had previously praised Epstein in a 2002 article as a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side”.
