On September 8, 2025, the political world was rocked when Congressional Democrats released a trove of documents from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, including a sexually suggestive letter and drawing purportedly written and signed by President Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday back in 2003. The letter, which features Trump’s name in handwriting and a curvy, hand-drawn female figure, reignited fierce debate in Washington over the president’s past relationship with the disgraced financier and the ongoing battle over the so-called "Epstein files."
The release, made public by the House Oversight Committee, came after months of wrangling and political finger-pointing. According to The New York Times, the committee obtained the so-called "Birthday Book"—a redacted compilation celebrating Epstein’s milestone—along with other records including Epstein’s will, address books, and a 2007 non-prosecution agreement. Lawyers for Epstein’s estate told the committee they had redacted names and photos of women and minors to protect potential victims’ identities.
The centerpiece of the controversy is the letter, which appears to capture an imagined exchange between Trump and Epstein. It reads, “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey,” with Epstein’s supposed reply, “Yes we do, come to think of it.” The note closes with, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The text is framed by a suggestive sketch and bears Trump’s first name in a distinctive, looping signature.
Immediately, the White House called the document a fake. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared on social media, “President Trump did not draw and did not sign a sexually suggestive drawing and note from the so-called Epstein birthday book.” Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff for communications, amplified the denial, posting recent examples of Trump’s signature and insisting, “It’s not his signature. DEFAMATION!” The administration’s legal team is pressing forward with a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which first described the letter in July.
Yet, as The New York Times pointed out, several authentic Trump signatures from the early 2000s—retrieved from New York City archives—bear a striking resemblance to the one on the birthday note. The signature on the drawing, signed simply “Donald” with a long tail, matches the style of correspondence Trump sent to then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. This detail, though, has done little to sway the White House, which continues to insist the note is a forgery.
The political fallout has been swift. Representative James R. Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, accused Democrats of "cherry-picking documents and politicizing information." He emphasized in a statement that "President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing." Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, a frequent Trump defender, dismissed the original Wall Street Journal report as a "fake scandal" and doubled down after the note’s release, calling the issue an attempt to "smear President Trump with lies."
Democrats, for their part, have seized the moment to press for transparency. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said, “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 broader context is impossible to ignore. Trump and Epstein were known to be friendly in the 1990s and early 2000s, both moving in elite Palm Beach circles. Their relationship reportedly cooled around 2004. Epstein, of course, died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His former companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for procuring underage girls for Epstein. Maxwell, according to New York Daily News, was transferred to a less restrictive prison camp after she gave two days of interviews to a top Department of Justice prosecutor, during which she denied ever seeing Trump act inappropriately around Epstein.
The release of the birthday note comes as Trump faces mounting pressure to fully disclose all Epstein-related documents. Just last week, a group of Epstein’s victims called on the White House to release the "Epstein files," a step Trump has resisted, particularly after Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly told him his name appears frequently in the files. The resulting backlash has opened rifts within the Republican Party, with some right-leaning figures accusing the administration of a cover-up and others defending Trump’s stance.
Bipartisan efforts in Congress have emerged to force greater transparency. Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna told ABC News that they are just two signatures shy of the 218 needed to demand a floor vote compelling the Justice Department to release all Epstein files. “We have the votes,” Khanna said, emphasizing that the issue is not political but moral.
For Trump, the scandal comes at a politically fraught moment. The president has struggled to shift attention away from the Epstein controversy, even as his administration faces criticism on other fronts. Trump himself has not commented on the latest release. His allies, meanwhile, continue to question the authenticity of the note and the motivations behind its publication. Senator John Thune, the Republican majority leader, told reporters, “I haven’t seen that. Just got into town,” declining to wade into the controversy.
In the background, the Oversight Committee is preparing to release more documents from Epstein’s estate, including address books, bank records, and other materials. The committee has not announced a timeline for making these records public, leaving both the media and the public in suspense about what revelations might still be to come. Notably, the much-speculated "client list"—long the subject of conspiracy theories—was not provided, with Epstein’s estate and the Justice Department both stating that no such document exists.
The episode highlights deep divisions in Washington over accountability, transparency, and the legacy of one of the country’s most notorious criminal cases. For now, the authenticity of the Trump-Epstein birthday note remains hotly contested, with each side digging in. But as more documents see the light of day, the political and personal stakes for all involved continue to rise. The American public, meanwhile, is left to sift through the intrigue, waiting for the full story to emerge.
