Jimmy Kimmel said there is a "surefire" way to get former President Donald Trump to admit he drew a crude doodle accompanying a birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein: simply praise the drawing.
The late-night host made the remark during his Tuesday monologue after the estate of the late convicted sex offender released a handwritten birthday note that included a doodle of a woman’s bare torso and a signature the Wall Street Journal reported was Trump’s. Trump has denied writing the message when first confronted over the summer and has continued to say he had nothing to do with the drawing.
Kimmel said on air that Trump’s reaction to the published image — silence on the day it was released — indicated the story was "getting to" him. "His first instinct is to lie," Kimmel said. "And then his second instinct is to wrap that lie in another lie. Like a Crunchwrap Supreme." He added that if someone were to say, "That drawing is great," Trump would immediately claim credit for it.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Trump had denied composing the message when the existence of the note surfaced this year. The note, now public, was among materials the estate of Epstein provided to news organizations. Epstein, a financier who was convicted on sex-related charges and died in 2019, maintained a controversial network of high-profile acquaintances, and documents from his estate have periodically renewed public scrutiny of his ties.
Kimmel, who anchors ABC’s late-night program and frequently satirizes political figures, framed his commentary as an observation of Trump’s communicative instincts rather than a factual assertion about authorship. Trump’s denials and the release of the note have so far produced public debate but not a legal determination about the origin of the handwriting or illustration.
The exchange underscores the continuing role of late-night television hosts in responding to political controversies and shaping public conversation. Kimmel’s quip follows a series of media reports and disclosures relating to Epstein’s past and the circle of associates who knew him. News organizations have published varying accounts based on documents and materials obtained from Epstein’s papers, while subjects of those reports have at times disputed the findings.
As of Tuesday, Trump had not provided a new public statement addressing the released image beyond his earlier denials. The note and the surrounding coverage are likely to remain part of broader media scrutiny of Epstein-related records and the public figures whose names have appeared in connection with them.