Donald Trump has never been one to shy away from bragging — even about things most people would never dream of admitting.
Whether it’s his claim that he can “grab” women without consequence or his cringe-worthy boasts about wealth that even fact-checkers can’t keep up with, Trump’s history of self-aggrandizement is infamous. But when you pair his past behavior with the latest allegations surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s resurfaced letters, the picture painted is far darker than his typical brand of bluster.
At the center of this new controversy is a letter published by The Wall Street Journal, reportedly written by Trump to Epstein in 2003. The letter, allegedly part of a collection Ghislaine Maxwell curated as a gift for Epstein, is jaw-dropping in its alleged contents. It reportedly included typewritten text surrounded by a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, complete with Trump’s signature scrawled provocatively across the figure. The letter concluded with a birthday wish to Epstein, referencing “wonderful secrets.”
If true, this letter isn’t just a bad look — it’s a glaring reminder of Trump’s proximity to Epstein and the unsavory social circles he once proudly moved in. But while Trump has dismissed the letter as fake and threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal for defamation, this controversy begs a bigger question: should anyone really be surprised?
In a 2005 interview with Howard Stern, Trump openly bragged about owning the Miss Teen USA pageant, claiming it gave him license to “inspect” the contestants. “I’ll go backstage before a show, and everyone’s getting dressed,” he said. “I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant… You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that.”
Let that sink in. Trump was openly boasting about walking in on teenagers changing — not as a point of shame, but as a weird badge of honor. Add that to the infamous Access Hollywood tape, where he bragged about sexually assaulting women, and the pattern becomes impossible to ignore. This behavior wasn’t just dismissed by some of Trump’s supporters — it was excused, rationalized, and even celebrated as part of his “tell it like it is” persona.
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