On September 8, 2025, the long-simmering controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to powerful figures reignited as the House Oversight Committee released a trove of documents from the late financier’s estate. Among the most explosive items was a professionally bound “birthday book” from 2003, created by Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, which included a provocative note allegedly signed by former President Donald Trump. The release has set off a political firestorm, with lawmakers, activists, and the White House trading accusations and denials, while the public is left to sift through the details and implications.
The so-called birthday book, titled “The first fifty years,” was a 238-page scrapbook compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. According to BBC, it contains letters, drawings, and photographs from dozens of Epstein’s acquaintances, including high-profile politicians and business leaders such as former President Bill Clinton and British diplomat Lord Peter Mandelson. The book was among a batch of documents sent to the House Oversight Committee after it issued a subpoena to the executors of Epstein’s estate last month. The committee’s demands also included Epstein’s will, his 2008 nonprosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida, almost three decades of entries from his address book, and various financial records.
But it is the alleged Trump note that has generated the most heat. As reported by TIME and BBC, the note features typewritten banter between “Donald” and “Jeffrey,” framed by the outline of a naked woman, and concludes with the phrase: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Beneath the drawing is a squiggly signature that Democrats on the committee claim is Trump’s. The release was accompanied by another page from the book, showing a photograph of Epstein holding a $22,500 check signed “DJTRUMP,” along with a handwritten note joking about “selling a ‘fully depreciated’ woman to Donald Trump for $22,500.”
Democratic lawmakers wasted no time in publicizing the documents. On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, they posted images of the note and the check, declaring, “Epstein and a longtime Mar-a-Lago member joking about selling a ‘fully depreciated’ woman to Donald Trump for $22,500.” Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said in a statement, “The Oversight Committee has secured the infamous ‘Birthday Book’ that contains a note from President Trump that he has said does not exist. 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.”
The White House and Trump’s allies quickly mounted a defense. Taylor Budowich, the deputy chief of staff for communications, responded on X that “it’s not his signature,” posting several recent examples of Trump’s autograph for comparison. Trump himself has repeatedly denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, telling The Wall Street Journal, “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.” Trump has even filed a defamation lawsuit against the Journal, seeking at least $20 billion in damages over its July 2025 report about the letter.
Vice President J.D. Vance, a staunch Trump supporter, was equally blunt, calling the story “complete and utter bulls—t” and accusing Democrats of concocting another “fake scandal like Russiagate to smear President Trump with lies.” On social media, MAGA activists and conservative influencers echoed these sentiments, dismissing the signature as a forgery and accusing Democrats of political theater. “Does the below from the WSJ look like this actual signature from the President? I don’t think so at all. Fake,” posted activist Charlie Kirk. Podcaster Benny Johnson added, “Trump has the most famous signature in the world. Time to sue them into the oblivion.”
Yet, not everyone is convinced by the denials. Analyses by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reportedly found that the signature in the birthday book—bearing only Trump’s first name—matched the style of handwritten letters he penned in the 1990s and 2000s. The BBC also noted that the book contains similar notes from other high-profile individuals, including a message from Bill Clinton mentioning Epstein’s “childlike curiosity.” Clinton’s spokesperson acknowledged the former president’s acquaintance with Epstein but denied any knowledge of his crimes. Lord Mandelson, who called Epstein “my best pal” in his message, has since expressed deep regret over their introduction. Prince Andrew is also briefly mentioned in the book, though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the Epstein saga.
The political stakes are high. The release of the birthday book comes as bipartisan lawmakers push for greater transparency regarding the Epstein investigation. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are leading an effort to force a House floor vote that would compel the Justice Department to release all files related to Epstein. They are just two Republican signatures short of the 218 required to bring the measure to a vote, with only a handful of GOP members joining the cause so far.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has already obtained some 33,000 pages of records from the Justice Department, though Democrats have expressed frustration that these disclosures have revealed little new information. The broader inquiry follows Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges and his subsequent death by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell, events that have fueled years of speculation, conspiracy theories, and demands for accountability.
The partisan divide over the new documents is stark. Democratic lawmakers see the release as a step toward uncovering the full extent of Epstein’s connections and possible wrongdoings by the powerful. “Now we know that Donald Trump was lying and is doing everything he can to cover up the truth,” Garcia said. Republicans, on the other hand, accuse Democrats of cherry-picking documents and politicizing the issue. Committee chairman James Comer stated, “Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people.”
For many in the public, the emergence of the birthday book and its controversial contents only deepens the sense of intrigue and distrust that has surrounded the Epstein case for years. As the debate rages on, what remains clear is that the questions raised by these documents—and the responses from those implicated—are far from settled.
With lawmakers, activists, and the public still demanding answers, the saga of Epstein’s files and their potential impact on America’s political landscape shows no sign of fading into history any time soon.
