We already knew that Donald Trump was acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein. The two were both young New York City multi-millionaires back in the day and ran with some of the big dogs in a big town. There are photos of Epstein with Trump and his then-girlfriend, Melania. So one wonders why it would be BLOCKBUSTER news on the pages of the Wall Street Journal that Trump received an invitation to Epstein’s 50th birthday before anyone with a badge and gun knew the financier was a sick pervert.
No, really, that’s the big news from the Journal that has been leaking out through social media rumors all day long.
The Journal reports in an exclusive story that Trump wrote Epstein a bawdy note for his 50th and drew a picture. It was allegedly contained in a 50th birthday album compiled by Epstein’s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, and shown to the Journal by someone acquainted with this information.
Trump told the Journal that no, that ain’t me:
This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story. 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.
Now, it’s not as if Donald Trump isn’t capable of trash-talking. You saw what he said about Rosie O’Donnell. And, being a multi-married man who, in his youth, went to Studio 54 with the beautiful people, Trump’s been a loud and proud New Yorker for decades. That he may have attended a big-timer’s 50th isn’t news.
My colleague at RedState, Joe Cunningham, observes that the note wasn’t even authenticated:
Here’s what the Journal doesn’t tell you: They provide no evidence that this letter was authenticated. No handwriting analysis. No chain of custody documentation. No forensic verification. Just their word that they “reviewed” it among Justice Department documents.
The paper admits they don’t know “how the letter with Trump’s signature was prepared,” yet they’re comfortable plastering it across their front page anyway. If you can’t verify authenticity, why publish it at all?
Cunningham also notes that the Journal failed to consider the context of when this alleged note appeared.
This alleged letter dates to 2003—a full three years before any criminal allegations against Epstein became public. Palm Beach police didn’t begin investigating Epstein until March 2005, and he wasn’t arrested until 2006. In 2003, Epstein was viewed as a successful financier who threw lavish parties attended by politicians, academics, business leaders, and celebrities.
The birthday album reportedly included letters from Leslie Wexner (billionaire retail mogul), Alan Dershowitz (prominent attorney), Harvard economists, and others.
Of course, the Trump administration promised full transparency on the documents detailing Epstein’s skulduggery and perversions, so it was a shock when reporters were told by the attorney general that there wasn’t much, if anything, to see here. Today, Trump told reporters that he’s told AG Pam Bondi to release everything she can.
However, it’s what could be behind the Journal story that’s most interesting.
Hellbound and Down 