On September 9, 2025, President Donald Trump broke his silence—if only to close the door—on an explosive controversy that’s been swirling around Washington for months. When asked by NBC News to address an alleged letter he supposedly signed for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday book back in 2003, Trump’s response was terse and final: "I don’t comment on something that’s a dead issue. I gave all comments to the staff. It’s a dead issue." With those words, he brushed aside mounting questions about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender, even as the public appetite for answers shows no sign of waning.
The controversy erupted anew on September 8, when Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released an image of the birthday message allegedly sent by Trump, part of a trove of documents and communications turned over by Epstein’s estate following a congressional subpoena. The book itself—a 238-page compendium of photographs, illustrations, and letters—was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s then-girlfriend, and offers a jarring glimpse into the world Epstein cultivated among the rich and powerful.
According to ABC News, the letter in question stands out for its lewdness. It’s framed by the silhouette of a naked woman, with Trump’s first name scrawled in the pubic area. The message, allegedly penned by Trump, reads: "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey." It ends with the line: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." The Wall Street Journal first reported on the existence of the letter in mid-July, prompting Trump to immediately denounce it as "fake" and file a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal’s parent company, Dow Jones.
White House officials have been quick to back Trump’s denials. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at a briefing on September 9, insisted, "The president did not write this letter. He did not sign this letter. And that’s why the president’s external legal team is aggressively pursuing litigation against the Wall Street Journal, and they will continue to do so." When pressed on whether the administration would support a review by a professional handwriting expert, Leavitt replied, "Sure." She further characterized the broader media narrative around Epstein as a "hoax against the president of the United States," adding, "The Democrats view this story as nothing more than an attempt to distract from the accomplishments and the achievements of this administration."
But the denials haven’t quelled the furor. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed skepticism over the Democrats’ motives. He told ABC News, "The Democrats, they find one thing in there, and they promote it and try to get a narrative. This investigation is about providing justice and accountability for the victims." Comer admitted he hadn’t "looked at the signature yet," but said he believed Trump’s denials. He also confirmed the committee expects to receive more documents from Epstein’s estate and plans to bring in several individuals for depositions, stating, "This investigation is moving along very rapidly, and hopefully we’ll get some answers and some justice very soon."
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the committee, struck a different tone. After the release, Garcia 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 American people are demanding answers." Garcia’s call for transparency has been echoed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert, as well as Democrat Ro Khanna, who are working to force the Justice Department to release additional Epstein-related documents.
The "birthday book" itself is a disturbing artifact. As reported by The New York Times, it contains not just the Trump letter but also crude tributes from Epstein’s friends and associates, many of whom openly celebrated his lecherous behavior. One friend compared Epstein to the protagonist in Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, saying, “instead of fish, Jeffrey Epstein caught women, ‘blonde, red or brunette.’” Another note, allegedly from venture capitalist William Elkus, joked about Epstein’s ability to conjure up beautiful women in unlikely places. There’s even an oversized check purporting to sell a "fully depreciated" woman to Trump for $22,500—a grim joke in a book full of them.
Other powerful figures are mentioned or attributed tributes in the book: former President Bill Clinton, retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, billionaire investor Leon Black, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and French modeling scout Jean Luc Brunel, who died by suicide in a French jail after being charged with raping teenage girls. The book features letters from women—some assistants, some girlfriends—whose names are redacted, and who may themselves have been victims. One wrote, “With you, dear Jeffrey, I laugh like a little girl and feel like a woman.” Another assistant described how Epstein transformed her life, listing among the powerful people she met “Mr. Trump, Mr. Clinton and ‘brilliant scientists, lawyers and business men.’”
The book closes with a photo of Epstein lounging in a hammock on Little Saint James, his private island, and a note from Maxwell: “The next fifty years will be even more wonderful.” The chilling optimism is stark, given what followed. By his 55th birthday, Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl, spent nearly 13 months in jail, and registered as a sex offender. Yet, as The New York Times notes, Epstein continued to socialize with the rich and famous until his 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell, who compiled the book, is now serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring to sexually traffic minors.
Attorney Brad Edwards, who represents many Epstein survivors, criticized Trump’s response to the scandal. Speaking to ABC News, Edwards said, “He told the public the Epstein story should ‘go away,’ yet filed a $10 billion lawsuit that only magnifies the very issue he wants silenced. With today’s release, the least he could do is withdraw that lawsuit and publicly apologize to the journalists he attacked for reporting what seems to have now proved to be true.”
Despite the mounting evidence and bipartisan calls for transparency, Trump and his allies remain steadfast in their denials. The White House continues to frame the controversy as a politically motivated smear. Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee’s investigation presses forward, with more documents and depositions expected in the coming weeks. As the nation watches, the question remains: Will the truth about Epstein’s powerful friends—and the full extent of their ties—ever truly come to light?
For now, the “birthday book” stands as a grim testament to a culture of impunity that shielded Epstein for decades. Whether it will also become a catalyst for accountability among the powerful is a question only time—and further investigation—can answer.
