Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee on Monday released a 2003 birthday note from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that appears to bear the signature of President Donald Trump, reigniting scrutiny of the president’s past ties to Epstein and prompting renewed disputes over the document’s authenticity.
The note, which Democrats said was part of a private album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, contains typed and handwritten passages, an illustration traced in black marker and a salutation that reads, in part, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The Wall Street Journal published the first reporting on the note and a separate handwriting analysis that concluded the signature shown as "Donald" matches Trump’s past writing, a finding the president’s lawyers dispute.
The birthday message opens with the line “There must be more to life than having everything,” the first sentence of Maurice Sendak’s 1967 book "Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or, There Must Be More to Life," a literary echo noted in reporting about the note. The message also includes the phrase “Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" and the closing line cited above — turns of phrase the Journal said resembled language Trump has used in books, speeches and social-media posts.
The Journal pointed to examples in public records where Trump used the word "enigma" and similar formulations — including in a 1990 book reference and remarks about public figures in later years — and said those repetitions lent weight to its handwriting analysis. The newspaper also compared pen strokes in the note’s illustration to doodles and sketches Trump has made, asserting similarities; at the same time, reporting acknowledged that signatures on other Trump artworks do not match the letter’s script.
Trump has dismissed the note as fake and has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, which has denied the president’s claims and said it stands by its reporting and its analysis. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement after the Democrats’ release that “President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation,” and repeated, “As I have said all along, it's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”
Democrats said the note was among contributions solicited by Maxwell for a keepsake album marking Epstein’s 50th birthday, in which friends and acquaintances were invited to add photos, drawings and personal notes. The album and its contents have become a focus of investigators and lawmakers seeking to document Epstein’s social circle and interactions with prominent figures.
The note itself includes an illustration traced around the printed text that forms a stylized hourglass female figure. Reporting on the letter has highlighted the juxtaposition of childlike literary references with explicit visual elements in the album page, an aspect that has drawn attention amid broader questions about the company Epstein kept and the nature of his relationships with wealthy and famous associates.
The dispute over the note’s provenance comes amid months of probing into Epstein-related materials and public attention on Maxwell, who has acknowledged compiling commemorative materials for Epstein in the past. Legal battles over the note’s authenticity are likely to continue: the Journal has defended its reporting and analysis, the White House has mounted a legal challenge, and congressional Democrats have circulated the document publicly.
The release adds to a steady stream of documents and allegations that have dogged the White House and some of Epstein’s associates, creating new lines of inquiry for lawmakers and further complicating the legal and political fallout from Epstein’s crimes and the social networks that surrounded him. Investigations, reporting and litigation on the matter remain active, and parties involved continue to dispute the note’s authorship and meaning.