President Donald Trump’s insistence that the Jeffrey Epstein case is a “dead issue” has been undercut by the public release of a 2003 “birthday book” compiled for Epstein, which contains a lewd note purportedly from Trump and other messages from prominent figures that critics say illuminate the late financier’s circle.
The White House maintains there is no evidence the president wrote or signed the specific entry and has signaled legal action against media outlets that reported on it. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president did not write or sign the note and that the administration’s external legal team is pursuing litigation against the Wall Street Journal. Still, officials and allies have struggled to contain the political fallout as Democrats and victims’ advocates press for broader disclosure of Epstein-related documents.
The item that has drawn the most attention is a sketch within the book that includes an imagined exchange between two men above an outline of a naked female torso. The handwritten note contains innuendo and a signature resembling Trump’s. The Wall Street Journal first published details of the entry in July, and last week the page was released publicly by Democrats on the House committee investigating Epstein after it was provided by the Epstein estate.
Legal and political pushback has centered not on the broader contents of the book, which include dozens of notes, photographs and drawings from politicians, business leaders and social acquaintances of Epstein, but on whether the president was the author of the specific contribution and what its appearance implies for his former relationship with Epstein. Trump has acknowledged a social relationship with Epstein that ended around 2004 and has denied any criminal involvement.
In addition to the entry attributed to Trump, the book contains messages from former President Bill Clinton referencing Epstein’s “childlike curiosity,” and notes from British figures including Lord Peter Mandelson, who described Epstein as “my best pal.” Some pages include lewd images, nude photographs and jokes referencing sexual exploitation. One message beside a photograph of Epstein holding a novelty check jokes that Epstein sold a “fully depreciated” woman to Trump for $22,500, using a financial term to imply diminished value.
Democrats and victims’ advocates say the book provides vivid, contemporaneous evidence of the social networks that surrounded Epstein and underscores what they call a culture of indifference among some associates to his criminal conduct. Less than a week before the book’s public release, a group of Epstein victims and their families spoke on the steps of the Capitol about the emotional trauma they allege he caused.
Republicans have accused Democrats of politicizing the material and focusing disproportionately on Trump. Some Republican defenders of the president have questioned the note’s authenticity and highlighted the absence of criminal charges against Trump related to Epstein. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson drew scrutiny last week after suggesting, then partially retracting, that Trump cooperated with earlier federal investigations into Epstein — an assertion that parallels claims Epstein himself reportedly made to journalists in 2016 and 2017.
The political contest over disclosure has extended to Congress. Two members, Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, have collected signatures to force a House vote to publicly release remaining Epstein files, including witness statements, financial records and law enforcement materials. The White House has opposed those efforts, arguing against broader disclosure of the documents.
Legal experts note there is no public evidence tying Trump to Epstein’s criminal activity. Investigations and civil suits involving Epstein produced extensive documentation of alleged trafficking and the involvement of other associates, and the new release adds pages that could prompt further requests for records. For political opponents, the existence of the book and the prominence of names within it provide ammunition for continued scrutiny; for supporters, the focus on Trump’s appearance in the book reflects partisan motivations.
The episode underscores a broader dynamic: material produced in civil litigation and estate handling can become political flashpoints when it touches prominent figures. The birthday book, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell decades ago and released amid renewed congressional and public interest, has generated sustained media attention that officials say will be difficult to contain.
Investigators, lawmakers and advocacy groups say additional records could clarify what Epstein’s associates knew and when. The White House’s denials and legal posture address the narrow question of authorship but do not remove the political salience of Trump’s past association with Epstein. That combination of legal dispute, congressional interest and intense public attention suggests the story will remain a live issue in Washington, with potential implications for how lawmakers and voters view alliances between wealthy social figures and elected leaders.
For now, the principal facts are: the book was compiled in 2003; it contains numerous entries from people in Epstein’s orbit; one entry has been widely reported as attributed to Trump; the White House denies Trump wrote it and is pursuing litigation against at least one news outlet; and congressional and public pressure to release more Epstein-related records is growing. While investigators and legal authorities might review any newly disclosed material, there is currently no public evidence of criminal conduct by Trump in connection with Epstein’s crimes. Trump’s past social ties to Epstein and his position as president mean he will remain a focal point as the broader inquiry and debate continue.