"Dumbest attempted hit piece"— Megyn Kelly reacts as Trump denies sending Epstein birthday letter with naked woman sketch, threatens lawsuit

President Donald Trump vehemently denied allegations that he wrote a letter to Jeffrey Epstein containing a sketch of a naked woman, calling the story a “fake.” He even threatened legal action against The Wall Street Journal for running the story.

The controversy began after The Wall Street Journal reported on July 17, 2025, that the President was one of many associates of Epstein’s who contributed to a birthday album given to the late financier in 2003.

The Journal reported that the letter, supposedly written by Trump, included a hand-drawn sketch of a naked woman and the signature "Donald" in the place of pubic hair. The typed note contained a third-person conversation between the President and Epstein, ending with the line:

"Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump quickly dismissed the story, telling the 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.”

He later escalated his response on Truth Social, claiming he personally warned Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch and editor Emma Tucker that the letter was fake.

"The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so," he wrote on Truth Social.

The backlash extended beyond the President, with conservative commentator Megyn Kelly weighing in on X, stating,

"This is the dumbest attempted hit piece I’ve ever read."

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Allies defend Trump over Epstein letter claims

The Journal reported that the letter was part of a leather-bound birthday album assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former confidante, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. The Department of Justice reportedly examined some pages of the album while investigating Epstein and Maxwell, but it is unclear whether the President’s alleged letter was among them.

The POTUS' allies questioned the letter’s authenticity on X, pointing out that the president seldom types correspondence and is known for his unique Sharpie signatures. Conservative activist Laura Loomer called the sketch “totally fake,” and Vice President JD Vance called the story “complete and utter bullsh*t,” questioning why The Journal didn’t share the letter with the President's representatives before going to press.

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were reported to have socialized in the 1990s and early 2000s, and they were photographed and listed on flight logs attending the same events. However, the President has since distanced himself from the late financier, saying that their friendship ended long before Epstein's guilty plea in 2008 to soliciting pr*stitution from a minor.

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The new scrutiny follows a recent decision by the Justice Department not to release more documents about the late financier, citing his death by suicide in 2019 and denying the existence of a rumored "client list." The decision frustrated some of the POTUS's supporters, who had expected full transparency.

Edited by Shreya Das