President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed renewed scrutiny over a lewd birthday card reported to have been sent to Jeffrey Epstein, calling the matter "a dead issue" after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released images of an alleged sketch that they say came from the late financier's files.
In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to comment directly on the card and said, "I don't comment on something that's a dead issue. I gave all comments to the staff. It's a dead issue." He has previously called the message "fake," and has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which first reported a note referencing a "wonderful secret."
Representatives of Epstein's estate turned over a photograph of the card — which appears to bear a signature similar to Trump's — to Congress as part of the long-running investigation into Epstein's conduct. Democratic members of the Oversight Committee released the image on Monday, along with other materials they said were provided by the estate, reigniting controversy that has shadowed the White House.
A separate entry attributed to a name from Epstein's "little black book," Joel Pashcow, was also circulated by Democrats. That page includes a handwritten joke about Epstein and a Mar-a-Lago member "selling 'fully depreciated' [redacted] to Donald Trump for $22,500." The woman whose name was redacted told The Wall Street Journal she had no prior knowledge of the note, and her lawyer described the item as a "disgusting and deeply disturbing hoax." Pashcow has not commented publicly.
The White House pushed back swiftly. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the Journal's latest piece "proves this entire 'Birthday Card' story is false," asserting that Trump "did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it." She said the president's legal team would "continue to aggressively pursue litigation," and called reports about the material part of a "Democrat Epstein Hoax."
Trump and his allies have also criticized Democrats for not releasing the documents while former President Joe Biden was in office, and the president has suggested the political opposition stands to lose from the files' release. Democrats, including Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, have denied those charges. Garcia said in a statement that Trump had called the investigation a hoax and "claimed that his birthday note didn't exist," and characterized the newly released material as breaking news.
The documents released by the committee included other items said to be from a Mar-a-Lago member's book, including a photograph of Epstein holding an oversized check accompanied by a handwritten note. Committee officials have said the materials were provided by the Epstein estate as part of cooperation with congressional investigators.
The revelations come amid ongoing bipartisan concern about whether government agencies adequately investigated Epstein and whether records have been withheld. The controversy over the birthday card and related materials has resurfaced questions about Epstein's ties to prominent figures, the provenance of the materials now in Congress, and whether additional documents remain unreleased.
Trump's legal challenge to the Journal and the White House denials leave the credibility of the newly released items contested as both parties prepare for further public and legal scrutiny. Congressional Democrats have urged transparency and continued review of the files, while the White House has indicated it will challenge the authenticity of the items and pursue legal remedies against media accounts it deems defamatory.
The Oversight Committee has not announced immediate additional releases, and lawmakers from both parties have signaled an interest in further review of the material turned over by Epstein's representatives.